LAWRENCE, Sir Thomas (English, 1769-1830). Autograph letter signed by Sir Thomas Lawrence, 11 December 1829. One page, 8vo. 178 x 114 mm. Mounted on larger paper, 203 x 127 mm. Old folds. Sir Thomas Lawrence writes, “Dear Sir, I enclose to my account, a cheque for £262-10. A note to Mr. Kent for £109 will be presented either today or tomorrow, and I request you to honor it. Believe me, dear Sir, most truly yours, Thomas Lawrence.” Sir Thomas Lawrence was one the leading portraitists of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, renowned for his uncanny ability to capture a sitter’s likeness. Upon arriving in London in 1787 he sought out Sir Joshua Reynolds, one of the leading portraitists at the time, and was advised that in order to be great he must study nature rather than the Old Masters. Following Reynolds’s death in 1791 Lawrence was elevated to painter in ordinary to his majesty, thus firmly establishing his reputation. In 1820 Lawrence became the fourth president of the Royal Academy, a position he would hold until his death ten years later.