Sir Jeffry Wyatville (1766-1840)

Lawrence painted Sir Jeffry Wyatville around 1829, depicting the architect who was then engaged in the massive reconstruction of Windsor Castle for George IV — the project that gave the castle its present Gothic Revival silhouette. Wyatville (born Wyatt, he added the "ville" with royal permission) transformed Windsor from a crumbling medieval fortress into a spectacular royal palace. Lawrence's portrait of the architect in his seventies captures the confident professionalism of a man at the height of a distinguished career. Now in the Royal Collection at Windsor, the portrait fittingly resides in the castle that Wyatville rebuilt.

Lawrence paints his fellow servant of George IV with collegial respect, the architect's intelligent features rendered with warm precision. The relatively simple composition focuses attention on Wyatville's face, where the expression suggests the practical confidence of a man accustomed to working on the grandest possible scale.