Thos Lawrence, Rome, Grande Bretagne, to [Joseph Farington]

RA Collection: Archive

Reference code

LAW/3/39

Title

Thos Lawrence, Rome, Grande Bretagne, to [Joseph Farington]

Date

19 May 1819

Level

Item

Extent & medium

2 pieces

Content Description

He describes briefly his journey to Rome, Thomson and Howard would have been shocked at his first impression, "I found Rome small!"; he lists the portraits he has completed, their sizes and media; he no longer produces "sketchy drawings", perferring to studying the "finer traits of the human countenance"; he must limit what he can see in Rome so as to leave soon, only Byron can do it justice in words; muses over how Bonaparte might have responded to Rome; he has studied Raphael and Michelangelo; he is alarmed at the decay in the Vatican; he is also alarmed at news of Mr. Owen's health and asks to be remembered to him; he sends thanks to Thomson for preparing his way and describes his attempts to educate his servant Edward in the Romance of it all; Canova has asked after Mr. West and the Academy; the Duchess of Devonshire has been very kind, but all other Englishmen are in Naples with the Emperor of Austria; he describes first meeting Cardinal Consalvi and then an audience with the Pope; the Cardinal is a very good subject for a portrait.