Henry Charles Fitzroy Somerset (1824–1899), Marquess of Worcester, later 8th Duke of Beaufort

The young Marquess of Worcester, future 8th Duke of Beaufort, was only fifteen when Hayter painted this portrait in 1839. The commission came from one of England’s oldest aristocratic families—the Somersets had held the Beaufort dukedom since the seventeenth century. Now at Eton College, the portrait reflects the tradition of commemorating young aristocrats at the start of their education and public careers. George Hayter was the preeminent British history and portrait painter of the early Victorian era, appointed Principal Painter in Ordinary to Queen Victoria in 1841.

Hayter softens his technique for this adolescent sitter, using a lighter palette and gentler modeling than his adult portraits. The compositional simplicity focuses attention on the subject’s youthful features and open expression.