Portrait of Pascoe Grenvell M.P. (1761-1838)

Pascoe Grenfell, Member of Parliament and copper magnate whose fortune came from the copper-smelting industry in Wales and Cornwall, appears in this 1818 portrait. Grenfell represented the new industrial wealth that was transforming British society in the early nineteenth century alongside the traditional landed aristocracy — a copper fortune translated into parliamentary influence and the social capital of a commissioned portrait. His career as MP for Penryn and later Great Marlow placed him in the reforming wing of the Whig party, and his portrait by Shee reflects the overlap between industrial wealth, parliamentary service, and cultural aspiration that characterized the Regency professional class.

The political portrait presents the MP in formal attire appropriate to his station, with the dark palette and neutral background of Shee"s standard male portrait format. The face is rendered with warm, careful modeling that conveys the prosperous confidence of a successful businessman-politician. The brushwork is efficient and professional, showing Shee"s mature technique.