Portrait of a Lady, British C.1830; Circle of Sir Thomas Lawrence (1769-1830)

Portrait of a Lady, British, 19th Century

Oil on canvas

In this exquisite and highly decorative portrait as much attention is paid to the woman's luxurious apparel as her facial features. The silks, ribbons, chiffon and flesh are defined with lightness and dexterity.

It is comparable on stylistic and compositional grounds to that of the studio of Sir Thomas Lawrence RA FRS and the fluid handling shows all the vigour and style of Lawrence’s work. The drawing is superb and the clear fresh palette, bright eyes, and beautiful rendering create a striking image.

As per an inscription on verso the sitter is Jane Maria Fletcher (1812-1892), the wife of Thomas William Fletcher (1808-1893) who was a barrister at law for the Inner Temple and a Colonel of the First King's Own Stafford Militia. The couple purchased Lawnswood House (see photos), West Midlands in 1851. This portrait was probably commissioned around the time of the couple’s wedding in 1831 when the sitter would have been about 19 years old which is congruous with the portrait. The artist’s prominent placement of the hands, that highlight a wedding ring, also support this assumption. A portrait of Thomas would have also been commissioned to hang nearby.

This intimate portrait is touching, evidence that the painter knew how to get to the heart and soul of his subjects. The entire work has been executed to an unrivalled standard and is a stunning item to hang on your wall. Held in an antique swept frame and ready to hang.

Lawnswood House is a Regency building that nestles in the shadow of Ridgehill Wood on the fringe of Wordsley, near Stourbridge. Built in 1813, the first occupants were the Foley family, rich ironmasters who had played a crucial role in the early development of the Industrial Revolution in the Black Country. The family sold Lawnswood House in 1851 to Colonel Thomas William Fletcher (1808-1893). From him the house passed to his daughter Eliza Jane and upon her death in 1923 it was sold along with contents at auction on the morning of October 9, 1923.

Provenance: UK private collection

Measurements: Height 109cm, Width 87cm framed (Height 43”, Width 34.25” framed)

Thomas Lawrence was largely self-taught and painted his first full-length at the age of nineteen. It put him on the map when the sitter introduced him to her friend, Queen Charlotte, who then commissioned her own portrait. Lawrence turned this into a virtuoso performance. His works are marked by a fluent use of paint, and by a sense of scale and ambition which reflects his desire that portraiture be recognised as an elevated art form. He became the leading British portrait painter of his generation, and President of the Royal Academy. His fluent, expressive style and powerful characterisation lead to him being admired throughout and one of the most celebrated artists in Europe in the early decades of the 19th century.

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