John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute

Reynolds's portrait of John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute from 1773, in the National Portrait Gallery, depicts the Scottish nobleman who served as Prime Minister from 1762-1763 — the first Scottish-born holder of the office and one of the most unpopular politicians of the Georgian era, vilified in the press as a symbol of royal favoritism and Scottish influence at court. Bute had been the young George III's tutor and closest advisor, and his appointment as Prime Minister was seen as evidence that the new king intended to govern through favorites rather than through the parliamentary Whig establishment. By 1773 Bute was long retired from politics, remembered primarily for his controversial ministry and for his patronage of the Kew Gardens botanical project. Reynolds's portrait of this politically toxic but culturally significant figure demonstrates how comprehensively his practice spanned the social and political spectrum of Georgian Britain, his brush serving both the dominant Whig establishment and its defeated opponents with equal professional professionalism.

Reynolds's grand-manner portraiture presents the Earl with characteristic dignity, the warm palette and careful rendering of rich fabrics creating an image of aristocratic cultivation. The restrained composition and the thoughtful expression suggest the contemplative retirement of a man who had known political power.