Sir Thomas Lawrence was the successor to Reynolds and Gainsborough as 'best portrait painter' of the 18th Century - and he continued to be so well into the 19th Century too. Having said that, to my mind he out-paints them both. Nevertheless, until now the National Gallery's collection of the works of this somewhat undervalued master, although numbering 5 paintings,  has not included and of his truly great images. Last year they started negotiations to purchase 'The Red Boy', which finally went on display earlier this year. It is a portrait of Charles William Lambton, painted in 1825 when the boy was just six or seven years old, at a time when Lawrence was one of the first Trustees of the National Gallery. This talk will discuss the painting in depth, introducing the subject and his family, and putting The Red Boy in the context of Sir Thomas Lawrence's career, and of the National Gallery's collection.