Porträt des William Brabazon Ponsonbony, 1st Baron Ponsonby, of Imokilly

Thomas Lawrence's portrait of William Brabazon Ponsonby, 1st Baron Ponsonby of around 1800 depicts a prominent Whig politician who later served as an important figure in Irish affairs and was closely connected to the reform movements that defined British Whig politics in the early Victorian period. Lawrence's Whig portraits form an important component of his practice, and Ponsonby's portrait demonstrates his ability to capture the intelligent, forceful bearing of a politically engaged sitter without reducing personality to ideological type.

Lawrence conveys diplomatic polish and intelligence through careful handling of the face, with alert eyes and a composed expression befitting a man trained in the subtleties of international negotiation. The warm flesh tones and confident brushwork are characteristic of Lawrence's work around 1800.