The inscription on the relined canvas – which presumably replicates an earlier identification – identifies the sitter as the poet Sir John Suckling, whose portrait was painted in about 1638 by Van Dyck (Frick Collection, New York, 1918.1.44). This cannot be correct as Suckling had fair, sandy hair, whereas this sitter’s hair is brown, as are his eyes and eyebrows. The costume of the sitter would point to this picture being made c.1640 but the attribution to Dobson is difficult to sustain, and an opinion that this picture may be based on an untraced original portrait by Van Dyck is suggested here.