Best known as a printmaker, Hogarth was also a fine painter and portraitist. This head demonstrates the straightforward manner in which Hogarth approached many of his sitters. He excelled at painting those he felt an affinity for or knew intimately and was less good at meeting the demands of a portrait market where flattery and social status were very important. This sitter may be a member of the family of Hogarth's father-in-law, Sir John Thornhill.