Sir Matthew Wood (1765–1843), Lord Mayor of London (1815–1817)

Phillips's portrait of Sir Matthew Wood, Lord Mayor of London from 1815-1817 and a prominent radical politician, documents a figure who combined civic leadership with political controversy—most famously as the defender of Queen Caroline during her trial in 1820 when George IV attempted to divorce her. Wood's radicalism and his championship of Caroline made him one of the most celebrated popular politicians of the Regency period, and his portrait by Phillips served the civic documentation of a Lord Mayorship while recording one of the more colorful figures in early nineteenth-century London politics. The combination of civic office and political radicalism gives this portrait an interest beyond routine institutional documentation.

The mayoral portrait presents Wood with civic authority, his Lord Mayor's chain or other insignia establishing his office. Phillips's competent handling renders the details of civic dress with professional precision. The Guildhall location provides the natural institutional context for a Lord Mayor's portrait.