George Dance the Younger RA (1741–1825)

This elegant portrait sketch of a boy in profile by George Dance the Younger RA (1741–1825) is possibly the artist's youngest son, Charles Webb (1785–1844), aged thirteen. A similar, more complete drawing of Dance's older son, George (1778–1813), is in the British Museum

In his youth, George Dance spent six years studying architecture and draughtsmanship in Rome, along with his brother Nathaniel, where, amongst others, he met the painter Angelica Kauffman. In the 1790s he produced many highly finished pencil profile portraits, which were published as etchings by William Daniell between 1808 and 1814.

As well as being a noted portraitist, Dance, like his father, had a long and successful career as an architect. His innovative work in the Neo-Classical style played an important role in the careers of several major architects, such as Sir John Soane and Sir Robert Smirke.

And a bit of local trivia – Dance was responsible for the design on the Theatre Royal in Bath, now one of the oldest working theatres in the country.