Robert Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool

Lawrence painted Robert Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool, around 1790, depicting the future Prime Minister who would serve the longest continuous term in British history (1812-27). At the time of this portrait, Jenkinson was still a young man at the beginning of his political career, before the tremendous responsibilities of leading Britain through the final years of the Napoleonic Wars and the turbulent postwar period. Lawrence's youthful portrait captures the intelligence and reserve that contemporaries noted in Liverpool's character. Now in the National Portrait Gallery, the painting documents the early career of one of Britain's most consequential if underappreciated Prime Ministers.

Lawrence presents the young politician with his characteristic refined elegance, using subtle tonal modulations and soft brushwork. The restrained composition and dark palette suit the gravity of the sitter's political ambitions.