LAWRENCE, SIR THOMAS ( 1769-183o ) , English painter, was born at Bristol on May 4, 1769. His father was an innkeeper, first at Bristol and afterwards at Devizes, and at the age of six Thomas was already shown off to the guests of the Black Boar as an infant prodigy who could sketch their like nesses and declaim speeches from Milton. In 1779 the elder Law rence had to leave Devizes, having failed in business and the pre cocious talent of the son, who had gained a sort of reputation along the Bath road, became the support of the family. His debut as a crayon portrait painter was made at Oxford, and in 1782 the fam ily settled in Bath, where the young artist found many patrons. In 1785 he began to paint in oil. He came to London in 1787, was kindly received by Reynolds and entered as a student at the Royal Academy. He began to exhibit almost immediately, and his reputation increased so rapidly that he became an associate of the Academy in 1791. The death of Sir Joshua in 1792 opened the way to further successes. He was at once appointed painter to the Dilettanti society, and principal painter to the king in succession to Reynolds. In 1794 he was a Royal Academician, and he became the fashionable portrait painter of the age, having as his sitters all the rank, fashion and talent of England, and ulti mately most of the crowned heads of Europe. In 1815 he was
knighted ; in 1818 he went to Aix-la-Chapelle to paint the sov ereigns and diplomatists gathered there, and visited Vienna and Rome. After 18 months he returned to England, and on the very day of his arrival was chosen president of the Academy in place of West, who had died a few days before. This office he held from 182o to his death on Jan. 7, 183o.
Among his famous portraits are "Mrs. Siddons" and "Princess Lieven" in the National Gallery and "Cardinal Gonsalir" at Windsor Castle. Interest in his work was stimulated by the sensational sale in London (1925) of "Pinkie," a fancy portrait of Miss Mary Moulton Barrett.
The best display of Lawrence's work is in the Waterloo gallery of Windsor. The Tate gallery, the National gallery and the National Portrait gallery contain a number of his works.
See D. E. Williams, The Life and Correspondence of Sir T. Lawrence (1831).