George Canning (1770–1827)

Lawrence painted George Canning (1770-1827) in a version dated 1838 — eight years after Lawrence's own death — suggesting this is either a studio copy or a work completed by Lawrence's assistants from an unfinished original. Canning's brief but consequential premiership and his support for liberal movements across Europe made him a hero to progressive opinion. Now in the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool, the portrait documents the posthumous demand for images of a statesman whose death was widely mourned.

The portrait conveys Canning's reputation for eloquence and intellectual brilliance through an animated expression and direct gaze. The relatively dark palette and simple composition focus attention on the face, where Lawrence's handling — or that of a skilled studio hand — captures the politician's commanding presence.