Sir Francis Burdett, 5th Bt

Lawrence painted Sir Francis Burdett around 1793, depicting the radical politician who would become one of the most prominent parliamentary reformers of the early nineteenth century. Burdett, a wealthy baronet, championed press freedom, prison reform, and parliamentary representation for London's middle classes. His political radicalism made him a controversial figure in an era when the ruling classes feared that French Revolutionary ideas might cross the Channel. Lawrence's portrait captures the young reformer's idealistic energy with a freshness that reflects both sitter and painter's youth. Now in the National Portrait Gallery, the portrait documents the political idealism of the 1790s generation.

Lawrence presents the young Burdett with the elegant informality and vivid characterization that distinguish his best portraits. The fluid brushwork and luminous flesh tones demonstrate Lawrence's precocious mastery at age twenty-four.