Miss Elizabeth Farren (c.1759–1829) (later second wife of the Earl of Derby)

Miss Elizabeth Farren at Burton Constable Hall is likely a smaller replica or study related to Lawrence's famous full-length portrait of the actress now in the Metropolitan Museum, New York — one of his most celebrated early masterpieces, painted around 1790 when he was only twenty years old. The Burton Constable version at 44.5 by 44.5 centimeters creates a very different viewing experience from the full-length: intimate rather than grand, suggesting a private document of a public celebrity. Elizabeth Farren's social ascent from actress to Countess of Derby upon her marriage to the 12th Earl in 1797 was one of the great mobility stories of Georgian society — the actress who had lived for years as Derby's companion before his first wife's death enabled marriage. Lawrence's relationship with the theatrical world made Farren a natural subject, and the Metropolitan portrait established his reputation as the successor to Reynolds with a work that matched anything his predecessor had achieved in the female full-length tradition. The Burton Constable version documents the interest in Farren's image beyond the single institutional holding of the Metropolitan version.

The portrait captures the grace and elegance that made Farren a star on both stage and in society. Lawrence's fluid brushwork conveys the lightness and movement that contemporaries admired in her performances, while the luminous treatment of her complexion demonstrates his signature gift for beautifying his female sitters.