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This early Jacobean panel portrait was painted in 1608 and shows a young boy aged four (the inscription ‘Aetatis Suae 5’ indicates he was in his fifth year, thus aged four). As is typical of child portraiture from this period, the maturity of our young subject has been somewhat exaggerated, and he stands before us not as a shy child, as one might expect, but as a confident, prosperous young man.

Although we do not know the identity of the boy, it is possible he was related to the Earls of Darnley who owned this portrait and displayed it at their ancestral home Cobham Hall in Kent until it was sold in 1925. Our young subject is shown wearing a fine silk doublet with matching breeches embroidered with a motif of flowers. His intricate lace collar and cuffs are a key focal point of this portrait and further reflect the prosperity of his family. A gold chain is draped over his left shoulder and a drawstring purse hangs from a ribbon fastened around his waist. In the lower right corner we can see what appears to be the hilt of a sword or dagger – a bold reference to his masculinity and ambition.
The identity of the artist is at present unknown, however, through stylistic analysis we are able to link it to a number of other works by the same hand, recorded in both public and private collections. One of the artist’s most accomplished recorded works is the double portrait of Stephen and Mary Phesant, previously sold by Philip Mould & Co. and now in a private collection. One of the most recognisable attributes of this artist is the style of inscription; the lettering is highly distinctive and nearly always written in led-tin-yellow paint. The structure of the facial features and treatment of the subjects’ eyes is also quite consistent throughout this artist’s recorded body of works, and many of his works, including the present example, reveal a familiarity with the work of court painter William Larkin (early 1580s-1619).