Sir Thomas Lawrence, P.R.A. (Bristol, London, 1769-1830) Lady Elizabeth Mary, Countess of Belgrave, afterwards Marchioness of Westminster

Painted in 1818. Oil on canvas. Carved and giltwood frame.

Catalogue Note: Colonel Charles Clifton (American, 1853-1928) was a major figure in shaping the automotive industry during its first decades. In 1897, he joined the George N. Pierce company - at that time a bicycle wheel manufacturer - and stayed on when it was reorganized as the Pierce-Arrow Motor Company, becoming chairman of the company’s board of directors in 1916. Clifton was also the founding president of the National Automotive Chamber of Commerce.
Clifton joined the Albright Art Gallery Board in 1914, serving initially on the finance committee before becoming vice president and then president, a role he held from 1918 until his death in 1928. In addition to his dedication to the Buffalo AKG, Clifton also served as president of Buffalo General Hospital, and during World War I, he was president of the Allied War Relief and of the Fatherless Children of France. In recognition of his support, especially for children orphaned by the war, Clifton was made a Chevalier of the Legion of Honor by the French government.

Literature: Sir W. Armstrong, Lawrence, London, 1913, p. 113.