Sir Thomas Lawrence PRA FRS (13 April 1769 – 7 January 1830) was a leading English portrait painter and president of the Royal Academy.

Lawrence was a child prodigy. He was born in Bristol and began drawing in Devizes, where his father was an innkeeper. At the age of ten, having moved to Bath, he was supporting his family with his pastel portraits. At eighteen he went to London and soon established his reputation as a portrait painter in oils, receiving his first royal commission, a portrait of Queen Charlotte, in 1790. He stayed at the top of his profession until his death, aged 60, in 1830. Self-taught, he was a brilliant draughtsman and known for his gift of capturing a likeness, as well as his virtuoso handling of paint. He became an associate of the Royal Academy in 1791, a full member in 1794, and president in 1820. In 1810 he acquired the generous patronage of the Prince Regent, was sent abroad to paint portraits of allied leaders for the Waterloo chamber at Windsor Castle, and is particularly remembered as the Romantic portraitist of the Regency.  At his death, Lawrence was the most fashionable portrait painter in Europe.

This is a link to the national portrait gallery in London which has a small page on the painting
http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw85373/Mary-Droop-ne-Richmond?LinkID=mp50710&role=art&rNo=11

This painting will be offered as Lot 139 LIVE on Easy Live Auction by Collins and Paterson, you can see the lot here:

https://www.easyliveauction.com/auction_catalogue.cfm?itemID=17824BFCCD4942D2F701FCEADEFC062ADDD1CBE8

To view the rest of Collins and Paterson's catalogue Click Here.