Lot Essay
Thomas Alphonso Hayley was the son of the writer William Hayley (1745-1820), friend and biographer of William Cowper. Having demonstrated a flair for art, Thomas was apprenticed to William Hayley's friend, the sculptor John Flaxman, by 1795. That year, the young Thomas and Flaxman in front of a bust of William Hayley were painted by George Romney. This painting is now in The National Portrait Gallery, London (NPG101).