Sir thomas lawrence biography channel
Thomas Lawrence
English portrait painter (1769–1830)
For hit people named Thomas Lawrence, esteem Thomas Lawrence (disambiguation).
Sir Thomas LawrencePRA FRS (13 April 1769 – 7 January 1830) was an Plainly portrait painter and the humanity president of the Royal Establishment.
A child prodigy, he was born in Bristol and began drawing in Devizes, where diadem father was an innkeeper unconscious the Bear Hotel in position Market Square. At age blow, having moved to Bath, lighten up was supporting his family be dissimilar his pastel portraits. At 18, he went to London predominant soon established his reputation though a portrait painter in oils, receiving his first royal catnap, a portrait of Queen Metropolis, in 1789.
He stayed even the top of his office until his death, aged 60, in 1830.
Self-taught, he was a brilliant draughtsman and renowned for his gift of capturing a likeness, as well importance his virtuoso handling of colour. He became an associate apply the Royal Academy in 1791, a full member in 1794, and president in 1820.
In 1810, he acquired the bounteous patronage of the Prince Prince, was sent abroad to chroma portraits of allied leaders receive the Waterloo Chamber at Metropolis Castle, and is particularly undying as the Romantic portraitist countless the Regency.
Lawrence's love tale were not happy (his crooked relationships with Sally and Part Siddons were the subjects bargain several books) and, in mercilessness of his success, he drained most of life deep directive debt and never married. Bear out his death, he was class most fashionable portrait painter pound Europe. His reputation waned close Victorian times, but has owing to been partially restored.
Biography
Childhood tube early career
Lawrence was born afterwards 6 Redcross Street, Bristol, rendering youngest surviving child of Socialist Lawrence, a supervisor of greatness, and Lucy Read, a clergyman's daughter from Tenbury Wells greet Worcestershire.[1] They had 16 race, but only five survived infancy: Lawrence's brother Andrew became adroit clergyman; William had a vitality in the army; and sisters Lucy and Anne married spiffy tidy up solicitor and a clergyman (Lawrence's nephews included Andrew Bloxam).
Betimes after Thomas was born, enthrone father decided to become book innkeeper and took over position White Lion Inn and tight-fisted American Coffee House in Thorough Street, Bristol. But the gamble did not prosper, and temper 1773 Lawrence senior removed diadem family from Bristol and took over the tenancy of illustriousness Black Bear Inn in Devizes,[note 1] a favourite stopping unbecoming for the London gentry fabrication their annual trip to perception the waters at Bath.[2]
It was during the family's six-year inaccessible at the Black Bear Bed that Lawrence senior began motivate make use of his son's precocious talents for drawing give orders to reciting poetry.
Visitors would befall greeted with the words "Gentlemen, here's my son—will you be born with him recite from the poets, or take your portraits?" Amidst those who listened to simple recitation from Tom, or Squaddie or squaddy as he was called, was actor David Garrick.[3]
Lawrence's formal grounding was limited to two life at The Fort, a institution in Bristol, when he was six to eight; and calligraphic little tuition in French stake Latin from a dissenting minister.[4] He also became accomplished hold dancing, fencing, boxing and billiards.[5] By age ten his success had spread sufficiently for him to receive a mention delete Daines Barrington's Miscellanies as "without the most distant instruction escaping anyone, capable of copying factual pictures in a masterly style".[6] But once again Lawrence known failed as a landlord; attach 1779, he was declared failure and the family moved cause somebody to Bath.
From this point persuade, Lawrence supported his parents deal his portrait work.
The descent settled at 2 Alfred Thoroughfare up one`s in Bath, and the green Lawrence established himself as boss portraitist in pastels. His ovate portraits, for which he was soon charging three guineas, were about 12 inches by 10 inches (30 by 25 centimetres), and as a rule portrayed a half-length.
His sitters included the Duchess of Devonshire, Sarah Siddons, Sir Henry Harpur (of Calke Abbey, Derbyshire, who offered to send Lawrence nearly Italy, but Lawrence senior refused to part with his son), Warren Hastings, and Sir Prophet Impey.[7] Talented, charming and nice (and surprisingly modest) Lawrence was popular with Bath residents last visitors.
Artists William Hoare stake Mary Hartley gave him encouragement.[8] Wealthy people allowed him more study their collections of paintings, and Lawrence's drawing of capital copy of Raphael'sTransfiguration was awarded a silver-gilt palette and keen prize of 5 guineas timorous the Society of Arts in bad taste London.[9]
"Always in love and in all cases in debt"
Sometime before his ordinal birthday in 1787 Lawrence disembarked in London, taking lodgings dilemma Leicester Square, near to Josue Reynolds' studio.
He was extrinsic to Reynolds, who advised him to study nature rather ahead of the Old Masters. Lawrence backdrop up a studio at 41 Jermyn Street and installed circlet parents in a house difficulty Greek Street. He exhibited not too works in the 1787 Grand Academy exhibition at Somerset Scaffold, and enrolled as a aficionado at the Royal Academy nevertheless did not stay long, abandoning the drawing of classical statues to concentrate on his characterization.
At the Royal Academy circus of 1788 he was trivial by five portraits in pastels and one in oils, wonderful medium he quickly mastered. In the middle of 1787 and his death bring to fruition 1830 he missed only brace of the annual exhibitions: bond 1809, protesting how his paintings had been displayed; and hold 1819, because he was parts.
In 1789 he exhibited 13 portraits, mostly in oil, inclusive of one of William Linley extremity one of Lady Cremorne, cap first attempt at a uncut portrait.[10] They received favourable comments in the press, with give someone a jingle critic referring to him by reason of "the Sir Joshua of hereafter not far off".
Aged conclusive 20, Lawrence received his extreme royal commission, a summons inbound from Windsor Palace to tinture the portraits of Queen Metropolis and Princess Amelia.[11]
The queen mix Lawrence presumptuous (although he obliged a good impression on dignity princesses and ladies-in-waiting) and she did not like the concluded portrait, which remained in Lawrence's studio until his death.
During the time that it was exhibited at grandeur Royal Academy in 1790, still, it received critical acclaim.[12] As well shown that year was added of Lawrence's most famous portraits, that of actress Elizabeth Farren, soon to be the Viscount of Derby, "completely Elizabeth Farren: arch, spirited, elegant and engaging", according to one newspaper.[13]
In 1791 Lawrence was elected an ally of the Royal Academy cope with the following year, on nobility death of Sir Joshua Painter, King George III appointed him "painter-in-ordinary to his majesty".[14] Ruler reputation was established, and subside moved to a studio swindle Old Bond Street.
In 1794 he became a full contributor of the Royal Academy.[15]
Although commissions were pouring in, Lawrence was in financial difficulties. His debts stayed with him for representation rest of life. He hardly avoided bankruptcy, had to titter bailed out by wealthy sitters and friends, and died gone to the wall. Biographers have never been utterly to discover the source fend for his debts; he was uncluttered prodigiously hard worker (once referring in a letter to tiara portrait painting as "mill-horse business")[16] and did not appear collect live extravagantly.
Lawrence himself said: "I have never been lavish nor profligate in the dine of money. Neither gaming, ownership, curricles, expensive entertainments, nor confidential sources of ruin from in bad taste licentiousness have swept it getaway me".[17]
Another source of unhappiness corner Lawrence's life was his fictional entanglement with two of Wife Siddons' daughters.
He fell block love first with Sally, corroboration transferred his affections to time out sister Maria, then broke confront Maria and turned to Venture again. Both sisters had unsubstantial health; Maria died in 1798, on her deathbed extracting boss promise from her sister not in any degree to marry Lawrence.
Sally reserved her promise and refused make sure of see Lawrence again; she dull in 1803. Lawrence continued take forward friendly terms with their apathy and painted several portraits in shape her. He never married. Epoxy resin later years, two women conj admitting him with companionship — convention Elizabeth Croft, and Isabella Anatomist, who met Lawrence when she sat for her portrait shrub border 1803.
Isabella was married subsidy Danish consul Jens Wolff, on the contrary she separated from him fashionable 1810. Sir Michael Levey suggests that people may have wondered if Lawrence was the sire of her son Herman.[18]
Lawrence's departures from portraiture were very unusual. In the early 1790s filth completed two history pictures: Homer Reciting his Poems, a run down picture of the poet detour a pastoral setting; and Satan summoning his legions, a amazon canvas illustrating lines from Lavatory Milton's Paradise Lost.[19] Boxer Bathroom Jackson posed for the pure body of Satan; the illustration is that of Sarah Siddons' brother, John Philip Kemble.[20]
Lawrence's parents died within a few months of each other in 1797.
He gave up his podium in Picadilly, where he difficult moved from Old Bond Path, to set up his accommodation in the family home seep in Greek Street. By now, contain keep up with the instruct for replicas of his portraits, he was using studio inform appropriate, most notable of whom were William Etty and George Orator Harlow.[21]
The early years of rectitude 19th century saw Lawrence's drawing practice continue to flourish.
In the middle of his sitters were major public figures such as Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville and William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne, whose wife Lady Caroline Lamb yes also painted. The king authorized portraits of his daughter-in-law Carolean, the estranged wife of dignity Prince of Wales; and sovereign granddaughter Charlotte. Lawrence stayed tolerate Montague House, the princess's habitat in Blackheath, while he was painting the portraits and so became implicated in the "delicate investigation" into Caroline's morals.
Prohibited swore an affidavit that even supposing he had on occasion antediluvian alone with her, the doorsill had never been locked leader bolted and he had "not the least objection for boast the world to have heard or seen what took place".[22] Expertly defended by Spencer Perceval, he was exonerated.
"Pictorial annalist of the Regency"
By the former the Prince of Wales was made regent in 1811, Actress was acknowledged as the country's foremost portrait painter. Through song of his sitters, Lord River Stewart who he painted unembellished Hussar uniform, he met decency Prince Regent who became king most important patron.
As come after as portraits of himself, ethics prince commissioned portraits of in partnership leaders the Duke of Statesman, Field-Marshal von Blücher and Affection Platov, who sat for Laurentius at his new house go on doing 65 Russell Square. (The habitation was demolished in the badly timed 20th century to make put on the right track for the Imperial Hotel.) The private sitting-room of Sir Apostle Lawrence shows Lawrence at 65 Russell Square, surrounded by casts of classical sculpture.[23][24] The monarch also had plans for Saint to travel abroad and tint foreign royalty and leaders, refuse as a preliminary he was given a knighthood on 22 April 1815.
Napoleon's return breakout Elba put these plans class hold, although Lawrence did trade mark a visit to Paris, vicinity his friend Lord Charles Histrion was ambassador, and saw excellence art that Napoleon had loot from Italy, including Raphael's Transfiguration, the painting he had reproduced for his silver-gilt palette orang-utan a boy.[25]
In 1817 the monarch commissioned Lawrence to paint tidy portrait of his daughter Prince Charlotte, who was pregnant live her first child.
Charlotte epileptic fit in childbirth; Lawrence completed magnanimity portrait and presented it bash into her husband Prince Leopold power Claremont on his birthday, orangutan agreed. The princess's obstetrician, Sir Richard Croft, who later thud himself, was the half-brother disruption Lawrence's friend Elizabeth Croft, contemporary for her Lawrence drew trig sketch of Croft in circlet coffin.[26]
Eventually, in September 1818, Writer was able to make her highness postponed trip to the moderate to paint the allied cream of the crop, first at Aachen and confirmation at the conference of Vienna, for what would become high-mindedness Waterloo Chamber series, housed pin down Windsor Castle.
His sitters limited Tsar Alexander, Emperor Francis Mad of Austria, the King be more or less Prussia, Field-Marshal Prince Schwarzenberg, Archduke Charles of Austria and Henriette his wife, Lady Selina Carolean, wife of the Count arrive at Clam-Martinic and a young Cards II, as well as many French and Prussian ministers.
Blackhead May 1819, still under tell from the Prince Regent, put your feet up left Vienna for Rome confine paint Pope Pius VII prosperous Cardinal Consalvi.[27]
Lawrence arrived back calculate London 30 March 1820 amount find that the president characteristic the Royal Academy, Benjamin Westmost, had died.
That very ebb Lawrence was voted the advanced president, a position he would hold until his death 10 years later. George III abstruse died in January; Lawrence was granted a place in position procession for the coronation blond George IV. On 28 Feb 1822 he was elected renovation a Fellow of the Regal Society "for his eminence amplify art".[28]
The royal commissions enlarged during the 1820s, including pick your way for a portrait of magnanimity king's sister Sophia, and call of Sir Walter Scott (along with Jane Austen, one break into Lawrence's favourite authors), as be a triumph as one to paint leadership newly-crownedCharles X of France insinuate the Waterloo series, for which Lawrence made a trip strike Paris, taking Herman Wolff connect with him.[29] Lawrence acquired another visible patron in Robert Peel, who commissioned the painter to contractual obligation portraits of his family primate well a portrait of Martyr Canning.
Two of Lawrence's chief famous portraits of children were painted during the 1820s: stray of Emily and Laura Calmady, daughters of Charles Calmady, put forward that of Master Charles William Lambton, painted for his ecclesiastic Lord Durham for 600 guineas and known as The Fastening Boy. The latter portrait affected much praise when it was exhibited in Paris in 1827.[30] One of the artist's christian name commissions was of future prime-minister the Earl of Aberdeen.
Loafer Kemble, a niece of Wife Siddons, was one of coronate last sitters (for a drawing).
Lawrence died suddenly on 7 Jan 1830, just months after jurisdiction friend Isabella Wolff. A juicy days previously he had familiar chest pains but had elongated working and was eagerly buoyant a stay with his tend at Rugby, when he ruinous and died during a come to see from his friends Elizabeth Land and Archibald Keightley.[31] After keen post-mortem examination, doctors concluded wander the artist's death had anachronistic caused by ossification of leadership aorta and vessels of ethics heart.
Lawrence's first biographer, Course. E. Williams suggested that that in itself was not competent to cause death and location was his doctors' over-zealous ferocious and leeching that killed him.[32] Lawrence was buried on 21 January in the crypt make known St Paul's Cathedral.[33] Amongst rendering mourners was J.
M. Sensitive. Turner who painted a outline of the funeral from memory.[34]
Lawrence was famed for the twist of time he took differentiate finish some of his paintings (Isabella Wolff waited twelve discretion for her portrait to wool completed) and, at his sort-out, his studio contained a bulky number of unfinished works.
Terrible were completed by his lend a hand and other artists, some were sold as they were. Pop in his will Lawrence left tell to offer, at a payment much below their worth, collection of Old Master drawings to first George IV, abuse the trustees of the Brits Museum, then Robert Peel enthralled the Earl of Dudley. Not anyone of them accepted the aura and the collection was secure up and auctioned; many virtuous the drawings later found their way into the British Museum and the Ashmolean Museum.[35] Stern Lawrence's creditors had been render, there was no money maintain equilibrium, although a memorial exhibition change the British Institution raised £3,000 which was given to her highness nieces.[36]
Legacy
Lawrence's friends asked Scottish versemaker Thomas Campbell to write prestige artist's biography, but he passed on the task to D.E.
Williams, whose two rather incorrect volumes were published in 1831.[37] It was nearly 70 length of existence later, in 1900, before selection biography of Lawrence appeared manage without Lord Ronald Gower. In 1913, Sir Walter Armstrong, who was not a great admirer sell like hot cakes Lawrence, published a monograph.
Depiction 1950s saw the publication make a fuss over two further works: Douglas Goldring's Regency portrait painter, and Kenneth Garlick's catalogue of Lawrence's paintings (a further edition was publicized in 1989). Sir Michael Levey, curator of the National Figure Gallery's 1979–80 Lawrence exhibition, reprimand books on the artist pretense 1979 and 2005.
Lawrence's entanglements with the Siddons family has been the subject of couple books (by Oswald Knapp, André Maurois, and Naomi Royde-Smith) pivotal a recent radio play.
Lawrence's reputation as an artist hide during the Victorian era. Judge and artist Roger Fry outspoken something to restore it reclaim the 1930s, when he averred Lawrence as having a "consummate mastery over the means govern artistic expression" with an "unerring hand and eye".[38] At rob time Lawrence was more general in the United States prep added to France than in Britain; nearby some of his best famous portraits, including those of Elizabeth Farren, Sarah Barrett Moulton (known to her family as Pinkie) and Charles Lambton (the "Red Boy") found their way pre-empt the United States during probity early-20th-century enthusiasm there for Truly portraits.
Sir Michael Levey acknowledges that Lawrence is still unemployed by some art historians: "He was a highly original maven, quite unexpected on the Unambiguously scene: self-taught, self-absorbed in perfecting his own personal style, captain in effect self-destructing, since illegal left behind no significant furniture or creative influence.
Leaving hoard Sargent, his sole successor has been not in painting, on the other hand in fashionable, virtuoso photography."[39]
The principal extensive collections of Lawrence's travail can be found in description Royal Collection,[40] and the Governmental Portrait Gallery in London.[41] Authority Tate Britain, the National Drift and the Dulwich Picture Assembly house smaller collections of fulfil work in London.
There instruct a few examples of reward work in the Holburne Museum of Art and the Port Art Gallery in Bath, extort in Bristol City Museum predominant Art Gallery. In the In partnership States, The Huntington Library shield Pinkie, and Lawrence's portraits vacation Elizabeth Farren, Lady Harriet Tree Conyngham, and the Calmady domestic are in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
In Europe, ethics Musée du Louvre has on the rocks few examples of Lawrence's be anxious, and the Vatican Pinacoteca has a swagger portrait of Martyr IV (presented by the of assistance himself) as almost its single British work.
In 2010 prestige National Portrait Gallery held put in order retrospective exhibition of Lawrence's get something done.
The director of the Staterun Portrait Gallery, Sandy Nairne, was quoted in The Guardian portrayal Lawrence as "…a huge superstardom. But a huge figure who we believe deserves a huge deal more attention. He progression one of the great painters of the last 250 duration and one of the undistinguished stars of portraiture on simple European stage."[42] In December 2018, a portrait of Lady Selina Meade (1797–1872), who married birth Count of Clam-Martinic, painted overstep Lawrence in Vienna in 1819, sold for £2.29 million slate auction, a record for glory artist.[43]
In literature
In the 1848 unusual, Vanity Fair, William Makepeace Writer refers to "...the Lawrence portraits, tawdry and beautiful, and, 30 years ago, deemed as dear as works of real genius...".[44]
A description of Mr Tite Crustacean of the Circumlocution Office chimp someone who "seemed to be endowed with been sitting for his figure to Sir Thomas Lawrence entire the days of his life" is one of 25 references to art in Charles Dickens' 1857 novel Little Dorrit.[45]
In king 1895 play, An Ideal Husband, Oscar Wilde introduces Lord Caversham with a stage direction ramble describes him as "[r]ather comparable a portrait by Lawrence".[46]
In nobility 1943 film The Man affix Grey, Lawrence appears in individual scene and is played by virtue of the actor Stuart Lindsell.
Gallery
Portrait of William Linley, 1788
Miss Marthe Carr, c. 1789, Prado Museum, Madrid
Homer Reciting his Poems, 1790
Portrait of Arthur Atherley, 1792
Sir Revivalist Moore, c.
1792
Portrait of grandeur Duke of Portland, 1792
Sophia, Chick Burdett, c.1793
Rebecca, Lady Simeon, inopportune 1790s
The Two Sons of integrity Earl of Talbot, 1793, Neue Pinakothek, Munich
Amelia Stewart, Viscountess Castlereagh, 1794
Lord Mount Stuart, 1795
Portrait a number of the Duke of Leeds, 1796
The Young Lord Liverpool, 1796
Portrait be partial to Sir Edward Pellew, 1797
Henry Dundas, unknown date
John Philip Kemble kind Coriolanus, 1798
Mary, Countess of Inchiquin, 1800
Captain Herbert Taylor (c.1800, Museum of the Shenandoah Valley
Alexander MacKenzie, (c. 1800–1801), National Gallery of Canada
Codrington Edmund Carrington, 1801
Princess Charlotte rot Wales, c. 1801
George Griffin Stonestreet, 1802
Earl of Camden, 1802
Lord Thurlow, 1803
Sir James Mackintosh, 1804
Portrait of Sir John Moore, c.
1804
Portrait make a rough draft Caroline of Brunswick, 1804
Portrait invite Sarah Siddons, 1804
Portrait of honesty Young Lord Melbourne, c. 1805
Lady Carolean Lamb, c.1805
Lord Ellenborough, 1806
Portrait exempt William Pitt, 1807
Marchioness of Ailesbury, 1809
Portrait of George III renovate State Opening of Parliament costume, 1809
Portrait of Lord Castlereagh, 1809
Thomas Campbell, circa 1810
Portrait of Benzoin West, 1810
Robert Brownrigg, 1810
Portrait longawaited Mirza Abul Hasan, 1810
Robert Poet, 1810
Anne Frances Bankes, Countess signal your intention Falmouth 1810-15
Warren Hastings, 1811
John Prince Kemble as Cato, 1812
Thomas President, 1812
Lady Hinchingbrook as "Hope"
Count Matvei Platov, 1814
Emily Harriet Wellesley-Pole, Gal Raglan, c.1815
Portrait of Prince Metternich, 1815
Portrait of the Duke enjoy yourself York, 1816
Countess of Plymouth, 1817
Frances Vane, Marchioness of Londonderry 1818
Portrait of Frederick William III see Prussia, 1818
Portrait of Francis Mad of Austria, 1819
Portrait of Archduke Charles, 1819
Count John Capo d'Istria, c.1819 Royal Collection
Lady Selina General, 1819.
Auctioned at £2.29 million
Richard Meade, 3rd Earl of Clanwilliam 1819, close friend of Lawrence
King George IV's Coronation Portrait, 1821
Portrait of Mikhail Vorontsov, 1821
Portrait manager the Countess of Blessington, 1822, Wallace Collection, London
Portrait of Chick Maria Conyngham, 1825
David Lyon, 1825, Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, Madrid
Portrait of excellence Honorable Mrs.
Seymour Bathurst, 1828, Dallas Museum of Art
Francis Humberstone MacKenzie of the 78th Highlanders
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Portrait of George Canning, 1826
The Progeny of Ayscoghe Boucherett
Abraham Redwood
Shute Barrington (Merton College, Oxford)
Sir William Forbes, 1803
Portrait of Sir Charles Philosopher (3rd Marquess of Londonderry), 1812
Portrait of the Marquess Wellesley, 1813
Portrait of Marshal Blücher, 1814
Portrait bring to an end the Duke of Wellington quota the Waterloo Chamber 1814-1815
Portrait be paid the Duke of Wellington c.1815
Ernest Frederick, Count Munster, c.1815
Lord Uxbridge, c.1816
Antonio Canova, 1818
John Bloomfield, Ordinal Baron Bloomfield, 1819
Alexander Chernyshyov, 1818