Have you ever tried to draw a friend and it did not quite look like them? Some features may have been recognizable but it only looked like a distorted version of them. The job of a portrait artist is not only to make the subject recognizable but show who they were through their clothes or symbols or even their posture. Whether the finished painting looked exactly like the sitter can not be known for sure, but in some cases it is more important who they were, rather than what they looked like. Often the commissioner of the portrait was somebody important or rich enough to be able to buy such an expensive painting in the first place. Many portraits of the Romantic period which spanned from 1800 to 1850 exemplify this tradition. The art from the Romantic period features scenes of nature that emphasize its beautiful, yet untameable state. So portraits from this time often feature some kind of nature in them- whether it be through the subject is standing outside, or through a window looking out on billowing clouds.
Such was the experience of Sir Thomas Lawrence and Gilbert Stuart who were two excellent portrait artists from the Romantic period. Each of the portraits that I have picked out by Lawrence and Stuart clue us in on the subject’s character and what their status or profession might have been through their clothes, expression, or accessories.
Sir Thomas Lawrence
Elizabeth Farren (born about 1759, died 1829) Later Countess of Derby
1790
Oil on Canvas
94 in. × 57 1/2 in. (238.8 × 146.1 cm)
50.135.5
From metmuseum.org
Lawrence paints Ms Farren on a path on top of a hill that looks down on a valley which is a common motif in Romantic portraiture. She's wearing a long white dress and a silk white cloak that is lined with fur. She holds a fur hand muff with her gloved hand. Her clothing communicates her status as an important person. At the time, Miss Farren was a successful actress and was being pursued by the Earl of Derby. She might not have been the Countess of Derby yet, but she was wealthy and fashionable as seen from her extravagant outfit. She smiles looking straight at the viewer, as if she is proud of how far she has come from her humble beginnings.
Gilbert Stuart
Matilda Stoughton de Jaudenes
1794
Oil on canvas
50 5/8 x 39 1/2 in. (128.6 x 100.3 cm)
07.76
From metmuseum.org
Where Miss Farrens painting hints at her being wealthy and fashionable Gilbert Stuart’s portrait of Matilda Stoughton de Jaudenes screams at us that she is rich and can afford the fashionable clothes of the time. She wears a white silk dress embroidered with gold flowers and all around her torso there a golden jewels and stones dripping from her neck and her torso. Her impressively tall hat has intricate gold embellishments and large plumes coming from the top. While she is not standing outside like Miss Farren, the drapes behind her are dramatically pulled back to reveal a beautiful cloudy sky. Her smile looks strained, unlike Miss Farren’s. But because of the books included to her left, her smile turns from a stiff smile to a wise and knowledgeable one.
Sir Thomas Lawrence
The Calmady Children (Emily, 1818–?1906, and Laura Anne, 1820–1894)
1823
Oil on canvas
30 7/8 x 30 1/8 in. (78.4 x 76.5 cm)
25.110.1
From metmuseum.org
Florence’s portrait of the Calamady Children features two sisters wearing simple pretty white dresses which make their rosy faces the star of the painting. This portrait does not point to the status of the girls. In contrast, everything points to their demeanor. The older sister has her arm around her younger sister’s back who is sitting Beside her. Her pose is wild and the fabrics of her dress emphasize her movement. The older sister has an expression on her face of gentle kindness towards her younger sister who has a playful energetic smile
Gilbert Stuart
Mrs. Andrew Sigourney
Ca. 1820
Oil on canvas
27 x 22 in. (68.6 x 55.9 cm)
1978.380
From metmuseum.org
This painting of Mrs. Andrew Sigourney also reveals her character. Though Mrs. Sigourney was a wealthy woman, that is not the main idea being communicated through this piece. Gilbert Stuart does not seem to be flattering this woman by making her look younger or more beautiful than she was. Her age and clothing shows how she is a wise and serious woman. She wears a turban, which we associate with eastern religion and spirituality. She wears a black dress with a white frilly collar and red cloth draped around her shoulders like a shawl. She is not sitting in an ornate carved chair like Matilda Stoughton de Jaudenes, but a larger muted green armchair. Her wealth is not gaudy, but refined.
John Julius Angerstein (1736–1823)
Sir Thomas Lawrence and Workshop
Oil on canvas
36 x 28 in. (91.4 x 71.1 cm)
65.181.9
From metmuseum.org
This portrait by Sir Thomas Lawrence shows John Julius Angerstein in thick expensive clothing wearing a fur coat. Mr. Angerstein was an insurance broker. He is not smiling in this painting but his mouth is slightly opened and he is looking directly into your eyes as if you were in the middle of discussing business with him. He looks to be holding a pen and his hand is resting on a piece of parchment. This portrait depicts John Angerstein doing what made him wealthy in the first place.
Captain John Gell
Gilbert Stuart
1785
Oil on canvas
94 1/2 x 58 1/2 in. (240 x 148.6 cm)
2000.450
From metmuseum.org
Here is another straightforward portrait that shows a man in his profession, but by Gilbert Stuart. This is Captain John Gell. We can infer from the romantic background with a ship in the distance that he was the captain of a boat in the Navy. He is pointing off to his left and looking to someone that we cannot see, perhaps his officers below him. We can infer that he is most likely in the middle of giving orders.This painting does not look to romanticize him as a leader and convince us of his greatness. Instead it just shows us what his profession is and that he fulfilled it.
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