Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition/Sir George Hayter

HAYTER, Sir George (1789–1871), principal painter in ordinary to the queen, was the son of a popular drawing-master and teacher of perspective who published a well-known introduction to perspective and other works. The son was born in London, and in his early youth went to sea. He afterwards studied in the Royal Academy, became a miniature-painter, and was appointed in 1815 miniature-painter to the Princess Charlotte. He passed some years in Italy, more especially in Rome, returned to London towards 1826, resumed portrait-painting, now chiefly in oil-colour, executed many likenesses of the royal family, and attained such a reputation for finish and refinement in his work that he received the appointment of principal painter, and teacher of drawing to the princesses. In 1842 he was knighted. He painted various works on a large scale of a public and semi-historical character, but essentially works of portraiture; such as The Trial of Queen Caroline (189 likenesses), The Meeting of the First Reformed Parliament, now in the National Portrait Gallery, Queen Victoria taking the Coronation-oath (accounted his finest production), The Marriage of the Queen, and the Trial of Lord William Russell. The artistic merits of Hayter’s works are not, however, such as to preserve to him with posterity an amount of prestige corresponding to that which court patronage procured him. He is not to be confounded with a contemporary artist, John Hayter, who produced illustrations for the Book of Beauty, &c.