Lady Charlotte Hornby

Sir Thomas Lawrence painted this portrait around the time of Lady Charlotte Hornby’s marriage on August 22, 1796. The artist captures her turning in her chair to view him. Her hair falls down over her shoulders, her dress is unadorned, and her rosy cheeks and lips suggest a spontaneous moment from everyday life. Lawrence was known for sketching sitters for hours before applying any paint. The interaction between artist and sitter was of fundamental importance to Lawrence, but the implied intimacy at the heart of Lawrence’s successful depictions of women also gave the painter a reputation for being “morally dubious.”