Portrait of Henry Somerset, 5th Duke of Beaufort (1744-1803)

Date1770 (probably)

Attributed to Francis Cotes (1726-1770)

MediumOil on canvas

DimensionsUnframed: 30 1/16 x 25 1/8in. (76.4 x 63.8cm) and Framed: 37 1/2 x 32 x 2in.

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1990-74,A

DescriptionA half-length portrait of a young, full-faced man turned 3/4 to the right, his head turned slightly and his blue eyes on the viewer. His arms hang straight down, his hands out of the picture. His powdered hair is swept back at the top and curled over his ears. He wears a dark blue coat with gold buttons over a gold, elaboratedly tasseled and braided waistcoat, white ruffled shirt, and white neck cloth. The greenish-brown background is plain and lighter in front of the subject's face.

The gilded, carved openwork Baroque-style frame is of the period (and conceivably original but has not been thoroughly examined as of 1-17-2007).
Label TextHenry Somerset, 5th Duke of Beaufort, was the only nephew and principal heir of Norborne Berkeley, Baron de Botetourt, who served as royal governor of Virginia from 1768 until his death in 1770. Beaufort sat for this striking portrait at about age 25, shortly before he inherited Botetourt's estate.

Artist Francis Cotes was a founder of the Royal Academy and, in his day, was ranked among the more fashionable portraitists in London.

What’s the Connection?
Although he never came to Virginia, the Duke of Beaufort gave a legacy to the colony. Upon the death of Lord Botetourt, Beaufort gave Virginia his uncle’s state coach and the full-length portraits of King George III and Queen Charlotte that had hung at the Governor’s Palace.
ProvenanceWhen offered for sale by Christie's, London, 27 June 1980, no provenance was given for the painting, and its ownership was listed only as "the property of a gentleman." The same brief statement was made when the painting was sold by Christie's, London, 20 April 1990, which is when and where CWF acquired it.