Charles Shaw Lefevre, Viscount Eversley (1794–1888), Speaker

Charles Shaw Lefevre, Viscount Eversley, who served as Speaker of the House of Commons from 1839 to 1857—one of the longest-serving Speakers in parliamentary history—appears in this portrait from around 1810 in the Parliamentary Art Collection. The Speaker"s portrait is a significant commission, and Shaw Lefevre"s tenure encompassed the turbulent Chartist period and the great reforms of the 1840s and 1850s. The Parliamentary Art Collection preserves portraits of Speakers as records of constitutional history.

The Speaker"s portrait demands particular formality, with the distinctive robes and wig of office providing the visual framework. Shee renders these ceremonial elements with careful attention, the black and gold of the Speaker"s robes creating a dramatic palette. The face beneath the formal wig receives detailed characterization, as Shee works to convey the personality of the individual within the constraints of one of Parliament"s most formal portrait types.