Jane Maxwell, Duchess of Gordon, about 1749 - 1812. Wife of the 4th Duke of Gordon
Painted 1772 [?]
- Scottish Art
Jane Maxwell, the daughter of a minor baronet, married the 4th Duke of Gordon in 1767. The Duke was one of the most eligible men in Britain, known for his good looks and extensive landholdings. Despite an unhappy marriage the duchess had seven children, helped run the vast family estates and became a leader of fashionable society both in London and Edinburgh. A great friend of the prime minister, William Pitt, her Pall Mall home was the social hub of the Tory party. In this portrait by the Swiss artist Angelica Kauffmann, the duchess is dressed as the goddess Diana, the virgin huntress with her bow and quiver. She wears a miniature of her husband at her breast.
