This section is from the "The Boyhood of Great Men" book, by John G. Edgar. Amazon: The boyhood of great men.
Noble lords and right reverend prelates now came forward to befriend, encourage, and patronise him; while among his lady-patronesses he could number the beautiful and accomplished Duchess of Devonshire, who employed him herself and introduced him to her friends. Lawrence worked diligently, and regularly completed three crayon portraits a-week. His plan was to see four sitters a-day; to draw half-an-hour from each, and as long from memory after their departure. Memory, indeed, was one of the great elements of his success, and about this period he gave strong proofs of his capacity. Miss Shak-speare, who at that time was considered the greatest beauty on the stage, was performing at the Bath theatre; and Lawrence was so enchanted with her exquisite loveliness, that he, next morning, drew a remarkable likeness of her from recollection. In like manner he furnished a portrait of Mrs. Siddons as Aspasia, in the "Grecian Daughter," which was afterwards engraved and extensively sold. Lawrence himself had been led, from his habit of reciting, to feel some inclination toward the stage; but his father contrived that Bernard and other comedians should receive a display of his abilities with such coldness, that he was effectually weaned of the idea
At thirteen, indeed, he had become one of the most popular portrait-painters in the kingdom; but this did not delude his mind or mislead his imagination. On the contrary, his success spurred him on to severe study and patient labour; he was not dazzled by the glitter of early fame, but rather found in it the inducement to continue his exertions. In his seventeenth year he began to paint in oil, his first subject being a whole-length figure of Christ bearing the cross. Unfortunately this painting has been lost, and its merits, as a work of art, are unknown. His second attempt in oil was a portrait of himself, somewhat in the style of Rembrandt.
The following extract from a letter, which he at this time wrote to his mother, is, in. many respects, extremely interesting:—
"I am now painting a head of myself in oil, and I think it will be a pleasure to my mother to hear it is much approved of. Mr. Hoare called on me; when he saw the crayon-paintings he advised me to pursue that style; but after seeing my head, and telling me of a small alteration I might make in it, which was only in the mechanical part, he said the head was a very clever one, and that to persuade me to go on in crayons he could not, practice being the only thing requisite for my being a great painter. He has offered me every service in his power; and, as a proof of fulfilling his word, I have a very valuable receipt from him which was made use of by Mengs, the Spanish Raphael. His politeness has indeed been great. I shall now say, what does not proceed from vanity, nor is it an impulse of the moment, but what from my judgment I can warrant. Though Mr. Prince Hoare's studies have been great, my paintings are better than any I have seen from his pencil To any but my own family I certainly should not say this; but, excepting Sir Joshua, for the painting of a heau I would risk my reputation with any painter in London."
So just an estimate did he thus early form of his powers as an artist, and especially as a portrait-painter.
About this time his father refused the offer of an English nobleman to give him the benefit of Roman masters; his answer being that his son's talents were such as to render education unnecessary.
The Society of Arts now voted Lawrence their silver palette and five guineas for his copy of Raphael's "Transfiguration." It was their custom to put a gilt border round it, as a mark of unusual distinction; but so pleased were they with such a performance from so young an artist, that they pre-sented him with the palette gilt all over.
Every success served only to increase and stimu-late his enthusiasm for what he called his "loved pursuit;" and, at length, his father was forced to yield to the entreaties to have him sent to London Accordingly, in 1787, Lawrence took up his quarters in the metropolis, opened an exhibition of his works, and on the 13th c£ September became a student at the Royal Academy. He found some difficulty in getting an introduction to Sir Joshua Reynolds; but at length succeeded in obtaining an interview, and submitted his portrait, in oil, to the criticism of his famous contemporary. Sir Joshua examined the picture with great care and attention, and then turning to the intensely excited artist, said, "Well, now, I suppose you think this very fine, and this colouring very natural?"
Lawrence's emotions at so abrupt a sally can be more easily conceived than described, but Sir Joshua proceeded to speak so kindly, and counsel him with so much candour, that he was soon reassured, and took his departure with a grateful heart.
The foundation of his metropolitan fame is said to have been laid by his portrait of the charming Miss Farren, which was hung as a pendant to Sir Joshua's Mrs. Billington as St. Cecilia. At the private exhi-bition, Sir Joshua, taking him by the hand, said, "You have already achieved a master-piece, and the world will naturally look to you to perfect that which I (pointing to his own picture) have endeavoured to improve." Then surveying the young aspirant's production, he added, with a smile, "I am not sure but you have deserved the prize."
Lawrence's progress in public favour was now rapid; his career successful beyond all precedent. His graceful manners, engaging address, and pleasing person, contributed considerably to the eminence he attained. In 1791 he was, at the request of George the Third, elected a supplemental Associate of the Royal Academy, and was admitted a member of it four years later. In 1792 he succeeded Reynolds as Painter in Ordinary to His Majesty And in 1814, having been recalled from Paris by the Prince Regent to take the portraits of the Allied Sovereigns, who were in London, he was honoured with knighthood. Going to Rome in 1819, he painted a portrait of the Pope, and finished that of Canova, which has by some been thought the finest emanation of his genius. On his return to England he found that he had, the day before his arrival, been elected President of the Royal Academy, vacant by the death of West. He was made a Knight of the French Legion of Honour a few days before his death, which took place on the 7th of January, 1830, when he was buried with great pomp in St. Paul's Cathedral.
 
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