A re-assessment of the Regency portrait artist Thomas Lawrence

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A re-assessment of the Regency portrait artist Thomas Lawrence

Posted On : Jan-29-2011 | seen (1037) times | Article Word Count : 599 |

A new exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in London is a chance to see little-known work by the eighteenth and nineteenth-century portrait artist Thomas Lawrence. This article looks at his success in his own lifetime and examines why his work is so unfamiliar to us today.

The talented painter Thomas Lawrence (c.1769 to 1830) was a hugely famous artist during his own lifetime. A self-taught draughstman, he would charge half a guinea to customers of his father's inn in Bristol to sketch their 'likeness'. After moving to London at the age of 18, he found early success and became one of the youngest associates of the Royal Academy. He went on to succeed Benjamin West as its president, a title he held for a decade. In Regency (late 18th and early 19th century) Britain he was both well known and widely admired. Amongst many notable subjects he painted Pope Pius VII, |the Archduke of Austria, King George IV, and the Duke of Wellington. He was knighted in 1815 and his funeral after his death, aged 60, was a national event.

And yet the majority of of visitors to this new exhibition of his work at London's National Portrait Gallery (the first reassessment of his work in many years) won't have heard of him before. How did such a well known artist , frequently compared to Gainsborough and Reynolds, apparently 'fall out' of the list of our great artists? And does his reputation deserve to be restored?

The loss of his standing was partly of his own making. An affair with not one but both daughters of the famous actress Sarah Siddons brought on a nervous breakdown. Soon after he died and the Victorian era began, his seductive portraits began to be associated with the hedonism and decadence of the Regency period. Considered too 'feminine' and alluring the Victorians began to marginalize him in the canon of art history.

However ironically the modernist era failed to restore his reputation, finding his portraits almost too masterful in their handling of surface and texture - his work seemed overly concerned with surface appearance and flattery and lacked a sense of psychological 'insight' that we may like to think we discern in other painters. A painter who is primarily a portraitist to the upper echelons of society may appear to lack the subversive edge that we now tend to seek in a 'great' artist.

It's a pity, because there was a lot more to Thomas Lawrence than simply his undisputed technical skill. His sketchy paint handling was often experimental and innovative, with large areas of paint, especially in his male subjects, bodly depicted in bold flat blacks and reds. A beautiful and striking example was his portrait of 'George Hamilton Gordon', the 'poster image' of the National Portrait Gallery's show. His portraits certainly flattered brilliantly, but also imported to their male subjects a bravura and authority in their unusually direct gaze.

But perhaps the most impressive of Lawrence's works were his sympathetic depictions of those older women he painted, such as the delicate portraits of 'Mary Digges', 'Elizabeth Carter' and particularly Queen Charlotte herself. This empathetic portrait of the tired-looking, grey haired queen whose husband King George II had recently descended into a madness of unknown cause, was almost too emotionally honest and was rejected by the Queen herself. But when exhibited at the Royal Academy it secured his reputation, which the National Portrait Gallery is now seeking to restore.

And so in conclusion, this new examination of Lawrence's work by the NPG indeed finds an artist worthy of renewed attention. Visit it alone for his wonderfully delicate and characterful pencil portraits, and you will not be disappointed.

For further reading on Thomas Lawrence, I recommend the National Gallery Catalogue: 'Thomas Lawrence: Regency Power And Brilliance'

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<h1>A re-assessment of the Regency portrait artist Thomas Lawrence</h1> Author: <a href='http://www.articleseen.com/profile_Anna Bregman.aspx'>Anna Bregman</a> The talented painter Thomas Lawrence (c.1769 to 1830) was a hugely famous artist during his own lifetime. A self-taught draughstman, he would charge half a guinea to customers of his father's inn in Bristol to sketch their 'likeness'. After moving to London at the age of 18, he found early success and became one of the youngest associates of the Royal Academy. He went on to succeed Benjamin West as its president, a title he held for a decade. In Regency (late 18th and early 19th century) Britain he was both well known and widely admired. Amongst many notable subjects he painted Pope Pius VII, |the Archduke of Austria, King George IV, and the Duke of Wellington. He was knighted in 1815 and his funeral after his death, aged 60, was a national event.

And yet the majority of of visitors to this new exhibition of his work at London's National Portrait Gallery (the first reassessment of his work in many years) won't have heard of him before. How did such a well known artist , frequently compared to Gainsborough and Reynolds, apparently 'fall out' of the list of our great artists? And does his reputation deserve to be restored?

The loss of his standing was partly of his own making.  An affair with not one but both daughters of the famous actress Sarah Siddons brought on a nervous breakdown. Soon after he died and the Victorian era began, his seductive portraits began to be associated with the hedonism and decadence of the Regency period. Considered too 'feminine' and alluring the Victorians began to marginalize him in the canon of art history.

However ironically the modernist era failed to restore his reputation, finding his portraits almost too masterful in their handling of surface and texture - his work seemed overly concerned with surface appearance and flattery and lacked a sense of psychological 'insight' that we may like to think we discern in other painters.  A painter who is primarily a portraitist to the upper echelons of society may appear to lack the subversive edge that we now tend to seek in a 'great' artist.

It's a pity, because there was a lot more to Thomas Lawrence than simply his undisputed technical skill. His sketchy paint handling was often experimental and innovative, with large areas of paint, especially in his male subjects, bodly depicted in bold flat blacks and reds. A beautiful and striking example was his portrait of 'George Hamilton Gordon', the 'poster image' of the National Portrait Gallery's show. His portraits certainly flattered brilliantly, but also imported to their male subjects a bravura and authority in their unusually direct gaze.

But perhaps the most impressive of Lawrence's works were his sympathetic depictions of those older women he painted, such as the delicate portraits of 'Mary Digges', 'Elizabeth Carter' and particularly Queen Charlotte herself. This empathetic portrait of the tired-looking, grey haired queen whose husband King George II had recently descended into a madness of unknown cause, was almost too emotionally honest and was rejected by the Queen herself. But when exhibited at the Royal Academy it secured his reputation, which the National Portrait Gallery is now seeking to restore.

And so in conclusion, this new examination of Lawrence's work by the NPG indeed finds an artist worthy of renewed attention. Visit it alone for his wonderfully delicate and characterful pencil portraits, and you will not be disappointed.

For further reading on Thomas Lawrence, I recommend the National Gallery Catalogue: 'Thomas Lawrence: Regency Power And Brilliance'About the Author: Anna Bregman is a professional <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.annabregmanportraits.co.uk">portrait artist</a> specialising in child's portraits. She studied art history at University College London, and is interested in the history of art and design. Visit her website for more articles on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://annabregmanportraits.co.uk/biography(1881311).htm">portrait painters.</a> Article Source: <a href='http://www.articleseen.com/Article_A-re-assessment-of-the-Regency-portrait-artist-Thomas-Lawrence_50613.aspx'> http://www.articleseen.com/Article_A re-assessment of the Regency portrait artist Thomas Lawrence_50613.aspx</a>

Article Source : http://www.articleseen.com/Article_A re-assessment of the Regency portrait artist Thomas Lawrence_50613.aspx

Author Resource :
Anna Bregman is a professional portrait artist specialising in child's portraits. She studied art history at University College London, and is interested in the history of art and design. Visit her website for more articles on portrait painters.

Keywords : portraits, portrait artist, portrait painter, Thomas Lawrence, National Portrait Gallery,

Category : Arts and Entertainment : Arts and Entertainment

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