Thomas Lawrence

Self Portrait, about 1787

Thomas Lawrence (13 April 1769 – 7 January 1830) was an English portrait painter. He was born in Bristol. He was a child prodigy. His father was an innkeeper. When Lawrence was 10 years old he was supporting his family with his pastel portraits. He went to London when he was 18. He soon was well known as a portrait painter in oils. His first royal commission was a portrait of Queen Charlotte in 1790. He became an associate of the Royal Academy in 1791, a full member in 1794, and president in 1820. In 1810 he received the patronage of the Prince Regent. He died at age 60 in 1830. At his death, Lawrence was the most fashionable portrait painter in Europe. He is remembered today as the Romanticism portraitist of the British Regency.

Thomas Lawrence Media

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  An early pastel portrait of Maria Linley

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  Lawrence's first royal commission: Queen Charlotte, wife of George III

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  Lawrence exhibited in 40 Royal Academy annual exhibitions.

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  Lawrence was in love with Sarah Siddons' daughter Sally. Painting by Thomas Lawrence, eighteenth century.

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  Portrait of Henry Dundas

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  The Duke of Wellington in 1814

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  Lawrence painted Pope Pius VII in Rome in 1819.

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  Anne, Viscountess Pollington, later Countess of Mexborough (d. 1870), with her son, John Charles, later 4th Earl of Mexborough London, Moretti Fine Art collection

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  A bust of Thomas Lawrence by Edward Hodges Baily, 1830

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  Pinkie – a portrait of Sarah Barrett Moulton, 1794

Related pages

• Pinkie

Gallery

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  Alexander MacKenzie, c.1800

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  Portrait of the Honorable Mrs. Seymour Bathurst, 1828

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  George IV

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  Master Lambton

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  Colonel Thomas Wildman

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  Maguerite, Countess of Blessington, 1822

References

• D. Goldring. 1951. Regency portrait painter: the life of Sir Thomas Lawrence, P.R.A. London: Macdonald.
• M. Levey. 2005. Sir Thomas Lawrence. New Haven and London: Yale University Press.

Other websites

• Thomas Lawrence: Regency Power and Brilliance Archived 2020-09-21 at the Wayback Machine exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery
• "Thomas Lawrence: the new romantic - review" Richard Holmes reviews the National Portrait Gallery exhibition, The Guardian, 16 October 2010
• "Gainsborough's forgotten rival is recognised at last" Jerome Taylor, The Independent, 5 August 2010