When this painting was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1782, the St. James’s Chronicle described it as ‘a beautiful boy in a Vandyke dress, the grandson of the late Dr. Nicholls’. Dr. Nicholls had been a well-known anatomist while the boy’s other grandfather was Dr. Richard Mead, a celebrated physician and patron of the arts. Little is known about Master Nicholls himself, although he may have studied at Oxford and become a lawyer.

Thomas Gainsborough (1727-1788) was born in Suffolk, but trained in London where he met the leading craftsmen of the day, becoming aware of continental artistic trends without going abroad himself. Between 1748 and 1759 he set up a successful portrait practice in his native Suffolk, producing images of the local gentry. He also sketched and painted landscapes for his own amusement throughout his life; this interest can be seen most vividly in the backgrounds for some of his portraits.

In 1759 he moved to the fashionable spa of Bath and became an overnight success, enabling him to demand ever-higher prices for his works. He charged £20 for a quarter-length portrait, £40 for a half-length and £60 for a full-length.