Adams entered the Home Office in 1791 at the age of sixteen and rose up the ranks, finally becoming Prime Minister William Pitt's Private Secretary between 1804 and 1806. This would suggest that the image shows Adams in his mid-thirties and at the peak of his political career. It was also at this time that he married Elizabeth Wynell-Mayow, with whom he had four sons and one daughter. Lawrence was a frequent visitor to Adams's house and often painted his family. This is a very lively portrait, painted in a half-length format.
All concentration is placed on the face, particularly the eyes.
Adams's hair appears rather windswept, giving him the romantic look favoured by Lawrence. There seems to be a new confidence in the brushwork, which may reflect the change in Lawrence's status and popularity since the time of his early self-portrait. William Dacres Adams 3. A Turk 4. 5. 6. 4. A Soldier wearing Armour 5.