Unknown man, possibly Dr Edward Archer

The dress of the sitter, with the soft cap and loose cravat, suggests he is a professional man, rather than an aristocrat. He may be Dr Edward Archer (1717-1789), an eminent physician who specialised in the treatment of smallpox.

Joseph Wilton was born in London, but trained in the Netherlands, France and Italy from 1744 to 1755. His understanding of antique sculpture, derived from his study of ancient Roman sculpture in Italy, is evident in many of his works. He was appointed Statuary to His Majesty George III in 1761, and in 1768 became a founder member of the Royal Academy. However in the same year he inherited a large legacy from his father and neglected sculpture thereafter; he went bankrupt in 1793.