Relined canvas, presented in an ebonised frame.

Samuel Johnson was born in 1709 in Lichfield, Staffordshire, become one of the greatest literary figures of the eighteenth century, most famously compiling A Dictionary of the English Language. He completed a critical edition of the works of William Shakespeare and created biographies and critical appraisals of 52 English poets of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries for his Lives of the Poets.

Johnson gained a pension from George III in 1762, allowing him a more comfortable lifestyle, giving him time for travelling and talking Well known for his robust character and challenging and often hilarious conversation, Johnson was a sociable man, being a member of several Clubs and his circle of friends included the painter Sir Joshua Reynolds.