Sir Thomas Lawrence P.R.A. 1769-1830

Possibly acquired by Sir Thomas Erskine Perry (1806-1882), the sitter's son, at the artist's studio sale, Christie's, 18th June 1832, lot 81;
By descent to Louisa Jane Perry, his daughter, who married Francis Ricardo, and thence by descent

The sitter was the daughter of John Hull, of Wilson Street, Finsbury Square, London.  On 23rd August 1798 she married James Perry.  Her husband was a leading figure of British journalism.  He was an energetic Whig campaigner and was editor and owner of The Morning Chronicle, the most famous newspaper of its day, for over twenty years.  The portrait was probably painted in 1814, the same year in which Lawrence painted a portrait of her husband which was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1832 and subsequently sold in these rooms in July 2002 (fig.1). 

In 1814 Mrs Perry travelled to Lisbon to benefit her health.  She was on her way back to England in a Swedish vessel when it was captured by an Algerian frigate.  She was taken to North Africa where she was detained for some weeks before eventually being released.  The drama of this experience proved too much for her and she died in Bordeaux in 1815 before she reached home.