Sir Thomas Lawrence (1769-1830) began to show his immense talent soon after birth in Bristol. At the age of 10, he was already earning money for his pastel portraits. At eighteen, he came to London with a reputation as a Romantic portraitist. He became a full member of the Royal Academy and painted a picture of Queen Charlotte. With the ascension of the Prince of Wales to the throne, he was declared the best portrait painter in the country. However, he remained in insolvency and his friends had to save him from bankruptcy. After 1818, he was invited to a conference in Vienna. He was chosen to paint a portrait of Francis I, or the young Napoleon II. He moved from Vienna to Rome, where he painted Pope Pius VII. In 1820, he returned to London to replace the late President Benjamin West at the Royal Academy. He continued to work diligently until his death from heart failure. His paintings are at Portrait Gallery, the Tate in London and the Louvre.