Sir William Webb Follett

Sir William Webb Follett, a brilliant barrister who served as Solicitor General and was widely expected to become Lord Chancellor before his premature death in 1845, appears in this portrait from around 1820 at the National Portrait Gallery. Follett was considered the finest advocate of his generation, and his early death at fifty-one cut short what would likely have been a historic legal career. Shee"s portrait captures the young lawyer before his rise to the highest ranks of the bar.

The legal portrait presents Follett in the dark attire appropriate to his profession, with the focused, intense expression of a successful advocate. Shee"s rendering of the sharp, intelligent features conveys the forensic acuity that contemporaries remarked upon. The palette is restrained and professional, with the dark tones of legal dress creating a somber frame for the luminous face.