Sir Thomas Lawrence (1769-1830), Circle of - A large half-length portrait of a boy reading

Sir Thomas Lawrence
1769 - 1830- Circle of


Period : Late XVIII - early XIX

A large half-length portrait of a boy reading

Provenance from a UK private collection.

Date Circa 1800 - 1830

Overall measurements with the frame are 103 cm x 96 cm x 8 cm and the painting itself measuring 67 cm x 60 cm


A large and tactile half - length very late 18th to early 19th century oil on canvas half-length portrait of a boy in burgundy jacket with lace collar reading a book .


Thomas Lawrence is generally accepted as being leading British portrait painter of the early 19th century, portraying most of the important personalities of the day in his polished and flattering style.

He was a child prodigy and largely self-taught; at the age of 10 he was making accomplished portraits in crayon. He was influenced by Sir Joshua Reynolds during his youth; his style developed very little throughout his life. He spent his early years in Bristol before moving to Devizes and then onto Bath where he had his studio.


At 18, he went to London and soon established his reputation as a portrait painter in oils, receiving his first royal commission, a portrait of Queen Charlotte, in 1789. He stayed at the top of his profession until his death, aged 60, in 1830.

The painting offered is from the period of the late 18th to early 19th century and corresponds closely to the period in which Lawrence flourished and in terms of stylistic composition.

Portraits by the painter and in the circle of are still highly collectable and generally sought after. The painting is a fine example of this and is offered within a period style layer ornate gilt frame . See notes below regarding frames.

Condition report : The painting had had restoration work and had been lined most likely about 30 years ago . There are two more recent repairs to the lining . There is evidence of infil in a few areas probably executed at different periods . There is evidence of separation to the paint surface in three areas with slight indentation corresponding to these areas but the paint surface appears stable with no apparent paint loss to those areas . Some infil is slightly raised but the colours are generally well- blended. The background has had strengthening probably due to older over - cleaning and / or repairs but again generally well- blended. There is craquelure commensurate with the paintings antiquity but it is feint and the paint surface appears to be stable.

The frame :

The early 19th Century Florentine frame had its own intrinsic value and is beautiful. It has been modified with a new aperture to accommodate the painting and the frame is offered as a gift . Please refer to the notes below.

The frame is being provided to you at no additional costs so that when your artwork arrives at your house you can immediately display it on your wall. As such any damages to the frame itself, that do not affect the integrity of the artwork, cannot be accepted as a valid reason to open a claim or request a cancellation. We would also point out that whilst we insure all paintings before shipping that we have no control over shipping once we have sent the painting .

The successful bidder will be responsible for paying any import duties and any associated VAT in the country of destination . Please refer to the auction terms regarding this before bidding. All of the art that we sell is insured for shipping ( subject to the above ). All shipping is professionally packed. Please Note: Studio/Gallery photos of paintings on an easel on the published material are intended only to represent accurately the size of the painting within that room environment. Also refer to the shipping costs and note the auctioneers disclaimer regarding potential customs charges .

We cannot calculate these as they are levied in the country of destination and the amount payable is determined by customs there and not by ourselves or the auctioneers. We have experienced some customs charging higher than expected import taxes; so we would advise bidders to attempt the establish the likely excise duties that your own National customs will charge you before bidding and committing to buy the painting.