Lieutenant-General Sir Thomas Picton (1758–1815)

Another Picton portrait, this 1812 version at the National Museum Cardiff, was painted during the general"s lifetime and may represent the primary life sitting from which later versions were derived. The Cardiff location connects to Picton"s Welsh origins—he was born near Haverfordwest in Pembrokeshire—and the National Museum"s commitment to collecting portraits of notable Welsh figures. The 1812 date places it during the Peninsular War, when Picton was commanding the 3rd Division under Wellington.

As possibly the primary life portrait, this version should show the greatest spontaneity and directness of observation among the multiple Picton portraits. Shee"s handling of the living sitter"s features would carry the vitality and immediacy that copies and posthumous versions inevitably lose. The military portrait format is established here—dark uniform, stern expression, commanding presence—to be replicated in subsequent versions.