Sir Thomas Holte (1571-1654) was the builder of Aston Hall, Birmingham, 1618-35. There is a full-length version of the portrait at in Birmingham's collection which is an early 18th century pastiche based on this picture, showing Aston Hall in the background.

When this (the original) portrait was painted, Aston Hall had not yet been built. The portrait was in the house when it was sacked by Parliamentary forces on Christmas day 1643 and it was possibly damaged at this time, the remnants being kept by the family and used as the basis for the pastiche a generation later. The surface of the painting shows signs of cuts and damage to the face and chest area, possibly caused by deliberate defacement.