Portrait of sir henry harpur, 6th baronet (1739 – 10 february 1789). Calke abbey tradition holds that it was supposed to have been created "at the bear hotel, devizes, aged 10 yrs old". Lawrence would have been 10 in 1779, the last year his family lived at the bear hotel (his father's inn) in devizes; after his father's bankruptcy, the family moved first to oxford and then settled in at the end of 1780 in bath, where he took up pastels. He was 15 in 1784. At the same time as he executed this portrait, he also created a companion portrait of sir henry's son, sir henry harpur, 7th baronet (1763 – 1819) (see article for image). Also in 1784, sir henry's wife wrote to lawrence to commission a small oval self-portrait (of which at least two copies are extant), and wanted to adopt him. Date: 1784. Dimensions: height: 29 cm (11.4 in); width: 24 cm (9.4 in). Medium: pastel and gouache on paper. Collection: Calke Abbey, Ticknall (National Trust Collection). Henry Harpur
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