Elizabeth Farren (born about 1759, died 1829), Later Countess of Derby

Sir Thomas Lawrence

1790 · Oil on canvas · European Paintings

The Irish actress Elizabeth Farren made her London debut in 1777 and soon became one of the most popular comic performers of the day. This portrait depicts her as an elegant young woman at the height of her career, before she retired from the stage to marry her aristocratic protector. Lawrence’s bold brushwork captures the sheen of satin and the plushness of fur, but his painting displeased the sitter, who asked the twenty-one-year-old artist to alter the depiction of her unfashionably slender figure.

Artist

Sir Thomas Lawrence

Date

1790

Medium

Oil on canvas

Department

European Paintings

Credit line

Bequest of Edward S. Harkness, 1940