Sir Thomas Lawrence P.R.A.

half-length, seated, wearing a white 'empire' dress with yellow shawl and jewelled belt

Commissioned from the artist by Sir Thomas Lethbridge (1778-1849);
by descent in the Lethbridge Family at Sandhills Park, Somerset;
with Sulley, London;
J. T. Blakeslee, by 1913;
Anonymous sale, Christie's New York, 15th January 1986, lot 60;
Anonymous sale, Christie's New York, 23rd January 2004, lot 80

W. Armstrong, Lawrence, 1913, p.146;
K. Garlick, Sir Thomas Lawrence, 1989, p.233, cat. no.486 (illus.)

STRUCTURE The canvas has been lined. PAINT SURFACE The painting appears to be in good condition. ULTRAVIOLET Examination under ultraviolet light reveals scattered minor retouching overall and minor infilling to craquelure in the body. FRAME Held in a British Rococo carved and gilded wooden frame.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The sitter in this beautiful and romantic portrait is Anne, the daughter of Ambrose Goddard, Member of Parliament for Swindon. In 1803 she married Thomas Buckler Lethbridge, later 2^nd Bt. (1778-1849), as his second wife. Thomas, who was painted by Lawrence in circa 1810, was Colonel of the 2^nd Somerset Militia, and in 1815 succeeded his father as 2^nd Baron Lethbridge of Sandhills Park in Somerset. The two portraits descended through the family together and both were in the Blakeslee collection, until the former was sold to the Stan Hywet Foundation in 1915.

Painted in circa 1803, at the time of her marriage, this portrait is a fine example of Lawrence's work of the period. Calling upon the language of classical sculpture, which constituted the principal influence on the visual arts in the late eighteenth century, he gives life and movement to the composition. The twisting contraposto of her pose, the sinuous neck leading to a melting upturned gaze, all combine with her dramatically rendered 'empire' dress to break the confines of the frame and heralds the developments of his later portraiture. Though his work would later become more expressive with the development of the larger 'Kit-Kat' format, increasingly adopted in the following years, the present portrait is memorable for the power conveyed by the tighter composition. The unspoken drama transmitted by the intensity of the sitter's gaze, in combination with the stormy atmosphere of the background, communicates a romantic sensibility that would shortly come to be labelled as Byronic.