Thomas Williams (1737–1802)

Thomas Williams, the 'Copper King,' painted by Lawrence in 1800 near the end of his life at the National Museum Cardiff, was one of the most significant Welsh industrialists in British history. Williams had exploited the enormous copper deposits at Parys Mountain in Anglesey, discovered in 1768, to create a near-monopoly on British copper production that at its height controlled the coinage, the sheathing of naval ships, and the global copper trade. His Birmingham Metal Company and his various copper-related enterprises made him one of the wealthiest men in Wales and a significant figure in British industrial capitalism before the term had been invented. His political connections extended to Parliament, where he represented both Welsh and English constituencies, and his lobbying on behalf of the copper industry influenced government policy toward mining and trade. Lawrence's portrait captures Williams in old age — he died in 1802 — as a patriarch of Welsh industry whose achievements had transformed the economic geography of the region. The National Museum Cardiff's holding connects the portrait to the Welsh national cultural institution most directly responsible for preserving the heritage of Welsh industrial and cultural achievement.

Lawrence captures the shrewd intelligence of a self-made industrial magnate, the face painted with the careful observation Lawrence brought to all his sitters regardless of their social origins. The warm palette and direct characterization present Williams as a man of substance and practical authority.