Portrait of Charles Gordon, Fourth Earl of Aboyne

Looking relaxed and thoughtful, Charles Gordon is seated in a green leather chair near an open window. Wearing a fashionable wig, Gordon is sporting a brown coat, white vest, and black breeches, all depicted in complementary hues. A rich green velvet drapery has been pulled back to reveal a wooded landscape outside of the window, very likely Charles Gordon’s estate. Gordon’s education and intelligence are emphasized by the books, inkwell, letters, and envelope placed on the table to his left. The soft light that falls through the open window illuminates the painting’s rich colors and subtle hues. Gordon’s contemplative and poetic mood creates a quiet atmosphere of intimacy.

Gordon raised the Gordon Highlanders of Fencibles in 1778 and his son, the Marquis of Huntley, raised the independent Black Watch. His wife, Lady Jane Maxwell, introduced the tartan plaids of these companies. A soldier and statesman, Gordon traveled frequently.

Raeburn, who was born in Scotland and orphaned at a young age, received early training as a goldsmith, but was largely self-taught as a portrait painter. In London he met Sir Joshua Reynolds, who had a significant influence on his work. No drawings or preliminary studies exist for Raeburn’s portraits, and he appears to have worked quickly and directly on the canvas. Establishing his practice in Edinburgh by 1787, Raeburn became the primary Scottish portrait painter of the period. He was knighted in 1822 when King George IV visited Edinburgh.