Mrs Siddons, ? as Mrs Haller in ‘The Stranger’

Lawrence painted Mrs. Siddons, possibly as Mrs. Haller in The Stranger, around 1797, depicting the great tragic actress in what may be a theatrical role from August von Kotzebue's popular drama. Siddons's interpretation of Mrs. Haller — a repentant wife seeking reconciliation — was one of her most emotionally powerful performances. Lawrence's portrait captures the intensity of expression that made Siddons's acting legendary, with the dark background isolating her illuminated face and the emotional immediacy characteristic of Lawrence's theatrical portraits. Now in the National Gallery, the painting represents the intersection of portraiture and theater in Georgian London.

The theatrical subject calls forth Lawrence's most dramatic instincts — the lighting rakes across the figure with chiaroscuro intensity, while the loose, gestural brushwork in the costume suggests movement and emotional turbulence befitting a stage performance.