William, First Earl of Lonsdale, Wearing Robes

William Lowther, 1st Earl of Lonsdale, was one of the most powerful political magnates in late Georgian England, controlling numerous parliamentary seats through his vast Cumberland estates and wielding extraordinary influence over political appointments — he was effectively the patron of William Pitt the Younger's early career. The portrait dated 1820, after Opie's death in 1807, is problematic: it may be a studio or posthumous copy, a misattribution, or the date may refer to the portrait's acquisition or cataloguing rather than its creation. The Tullie collection in Carlisle — the capital of Cumberland, at the heart of Lowther's domain — is the appropriate place for such a portrait, given the Earl's overwhelming local power. Portraits of Lowther in his ceremonial robes would have been made to assert his aristocratic authority.

A portrait of an earl in ceremonial robes — likely peer's robes with ermine trimming — requires careful attention to the specific heraldic and textile details of aristocratic dress. If Opie made an original before 1807, the 1820 date may indicate a later copy or completion by a studio assistant. The robes would be handled with descriptive accuracy while the face carries the expressive weight.