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HAYTER, George - b. 1792 London, d. 1871 London - WGA

HAYTER, George

(b. 1792 London, d. 1871 London)

English painter and printmaker. He was the son of Charles Hayter (1761-1835), miniature painter, author of manuals for art instruction and Professor of Perspective and Drawing to Princess Charlotte. In 1808 George entered the Royal Academy Schools, and in 1815 was appointed Painter of Miniatures and Portraits by Princess Charlotte. Hayter was awarded the British Institution’s premium for history painting for the Prophet Ezra (1815; Downton Castle, Herefordshire), purchased by Richard Payne Knight. Encouraged by his patron, John Russell, 6th Duke of Bedford, he travelled to Italy to study in 1816, gaining election as an honorary member of the Accademia di S Luca in Florence.

Returning to London in 1818, Hayter practised as a portrait painter in oils and history painter and occasionally acted as an art dealer. Dubbed ‘The Phoenix’ by William Beckford, Hayter showed a pomposity that irritated his fellow artists, but he mixed freely with many aristocratic families. His unconventional domestic life (separated from his wife, he lived openly with his mistress) set him apart from official Academy circles: he was never elected to the Royal Academy.

Portrait of Countess Yelizaveta Vorontsova
Portrait of Countess Yelizaveta Vorontsova by

Portrait of Countess Yelizaveta Vorontsova

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The Marriage of Queen Victoria, 10 February 1840
The Marriage of Queen Victoria, 10 February 1840 by

The Marriage of Queen Victoria, 10 February 1840

Princess Victoria met her future husband, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, when she was just seventeen in 1836. Prince Albert was Victoria’s first cousin; his father was her mother’s brother, Ernest. As a monarch, Victoria had to propose to him and in 1840 they married. Their marriage proved to be very happy.

Suggested listening (streaming mp3, 6 minutes):

Sir Edward Elgar: Pomp and Circumstance March op. 39 No. 1

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