Charles William Henry Scott (1772–1819), Earl of Dalkeith

Beechey's portrait of Charles William Henry Scott, Earl of Dalkeith (1772–1819) was painted in the early 1800s when the subject was in his late twenties or early thirties. Dalkeith was heir to the Duke of Buccleuch, one of the wealthiest landowning families in Scotland and England, and a prominent figure in Tory political circles. Beechey was well positioned to receive commissions from the Scottish aristocracy through his position as Painter in Ordinary to George III, and his portraits of young noblemen follow a formula shaped by Reynolds and Lawrence.

Dark coat against a warm landscape background, with the face receiving the most finished attention, follows Beechey's approach to male aristocratic portraiture. The youth of the sitter appears in softer features and lighter build.