In its composition and dynamic pose, with the sitter turned at an angle, his right arm across his chest, this portrait study may relate to Lawrence's portraits of Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, most notably the one commissioned by Charles and Harriet Arbuthnot in 1820 and exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1822.
The drawing, which was probably cut from a sketchbook, is on laid paper with a watermark, which is likely part of a Georgian period Strasburg Lily.
Dimensions:
Height
6 cm / 2 "
Width
5 cm
/ 2 "
Framed height
28.5 cm
/ 11 "
Framed width
23 cm
/ 9 "
Year
c.1820
Medium
Graphite on laid paper, with part of what is probably a Georgian Strasburg Lily watermark
Provenance
Old dealer label with attribution to Sir Thomas Lawrence on backboard
