Alexander Gordon, 4th Duke of Gordon

This portrait of Alexander Gordon, 4th Duke of Gordon, at Manchester Art Gallery depicts the Highland aristocrat whose family seat at Gordon Castle was a center of Scottish social and political life. The Gordon Highlanders regiment, raised on the duke’s estates, became one of the most distinguished regiments in the British army. Characteristic of the artist's mature approach, the work displays bold, direct brushwork building form through vigorous strokes of light and shadow rather than careful blending, with minimal underdrawing.

Raeburn renders the duke with the bold brushwork and strong lighting that characterize his aristocratic portraits. The sitter’s features are modeled with confident directness that conveys both physical presence and social authority.