George Tennyson (1749/1750–1835), Grandfather of Alfred Tennyson

Lawrence painted George Tennyson, grandfather of the poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson, around 1800. George Tennyson was a prosperous Lincolnshire landowner and solicitor whose family would produce one of Victorian England's greatest literary figures. Lawrence's portrait captures the solid respectability of the English provincial gentry whose patronage extended the artist's reach beyond London society. Now in the Usher Gallery in Lincoln, the painting connects Lawrence's portraiture to the regional world that would nurture the Tennyson literary dynasty.

Lawrence's handling captures the sitter's strong-willed character through direct, confident modeling of the face, with particular attention to the firm set of the jaw and steady gaze. The palette is warm but restrained, appropriate to a provincial landowner rather than a London society figure.