The Gilded World of Thomas Lawrence: Portraitist of Regency Society Thomas Lawrence, born in Bristol in 1769, was a child prodigy who ascended to become the preeminent portrait painter of his age – the glittering world of late Georgian and early Victorian England. Unlike many artists who struggled for recognition, Lawrence’s talent was immediately apparent. By the age of ten, he was supporting his family with pastel portraits, demonstrating an astonishing skill in capturing likenesses and a natural flair for composition. His early training involved copying works by established masters like R…