Francis Charles Seymour-Conway, 3rd Marquess of Hertford

Lawrence's Francis Charles Seymour-Conway, 3rd Marquess of Hertford (c. 1822–23) at the National Gallery of Art depicts one of the wealthiest art collectors in England — the future Wallace Collection founder's father, who began the remarkable accumulation of French paintings and decorative arts that his son would complete. Hertford's portrait belongs to Lawrence's late series of aristocratic male portraits, painted when his style had reached its most confident and technically assured state. The Marquess's social authority and the wealth that enabled his collecting activities are communicated through bearing and expression rather than explicit accessories.

Lawrence's late portrait style is evident in the confident, fluid handling and warm tonality. The marquess's face is rendered with careful attention to character while the costume and background are painted with broader, more atmospheric strokes. The rich, dark palette creates an impression of aristocratic gravitas.