Attributed to Sir Thomas Lawrence P.R.A., Portrait of a Lady , c. 1801-06

1801

Medium

Oil on canvas

Dimensions

76 × 64 cm

Status

In Gallery Collection

Collect24 Art ID

C24-149614

This exquisite portrait of a lady by Sir Thomas Lawrence was painted around 1805, when the artist was at the height of his powers. Executed with the characteristic elegance and sensitivity that define Lawrence’s mature style, this work exemplifies the painter’s ability to imbue his portraiture with a lyrical dimension, achieved here through the inclusion of a highly evocative landscape background. This portrait depicts a yet unidentified lady, painted half-length and seated at a right angle to the viewer, her head turned to face us. The subject is clothed in a delicate white gown with gold necklaces and a flowing golden shawl, all of which are rendered with typical Lawrentian bravura brushwork and a luminous colour palette. She is seated in an arcade or window opening, with red velvet curtains and a stone balustrade, beyond which lies a nocturnal, wooded landscape.