François, baron Gérard, painter (1770–1837)

Lawrence painted François Gérard around 1824, depicting the French painter who was one of the leading portraitists of Napoleonic and Restoration France. Gérard and Lawrence were professional rivals who admired each other's work — both dominated the portraiture of their respective nations. Their mutual portrait exchanges reflected the artistic diplomacy that characterized post-Napoleonic European culture. Now in the Museum of the History of France at Versailles, the painting documents the fraternity of European portrait painters.

Lawrence employs his signature loose, sweeping brushstrokes in the clothing and background while reserving tighter, more deliberate modeling for the face. The warm tonality and fluid handling of drapery reflect the assured technique of Lawrence's final years.