Philadelphia Hannah, 1st Viscountess Cremorne
- Artist: Sir Thomas Lawrence
- Date: exhibited 1789
- Medium: Oil paint on canvas
- Dimensions: support: 2403 x 1480 mm
- Museum: Tate Britain
- Collection record: Tate Britain website
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About this artwork
This is “Philadelphia Hannah, 1st Viscountess Cremorne” by Sir Thomas Lawrence. The portrait shows Lady Cremorne standing tall, her gaze locked straight ahead – a fitting pose for a woman who served as lady‑in‑waiting to Queen Charlotte and whose grandfather founded the colony that became Pennsylvania. Lawrence was only 19 when he painted this full‑length work in 1789, and it was the very piece that launched him at the Royal Academy, catching the press’s eye and positioning him as the successor to Joshua Reynolds. The sitter is dressed in a ceremonial robe, the folds of the white fabric rendered with thick impasto, set against a simple backdrop of column, curtain and carpet that anchors the composition. The oil on canvas shows Lawrence’s early mastery of light and texture, with glazes and scumbles layered quickly to bring out the sitter’s regal poise. After this portrait, he went on to paint Queen Charlotte, a commission that may have come through Lady Cremorne herself. The painting remains a striking example of late‑18th‑century British portraiture, showcasing both the sitter’s authority and the young artist’s emerging talent.
See it in person
Philadelphia Hannah, 1st Viscountess Cremorne is in the collection of Tate Britain on Millbank, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
