This mid-19th-century oil painting by British artist John Robert Wildman (1788-1843) depicts a gentleman wearing a dark brown frock coat with waistcoat, white shirt and cravat. He bears a passing resemblance to the romantic poet, William Wordsworth (1770-1850).Slightly crumpled, a little dishevelled, cravat rather hastily tied, he�s evidently a man absorbed by his work. What appears to be a small magnifying glass hangs from his coat - perhaps a clue as to his occupation.Born in Lambeth, London, Wildman was initially trained by his father but little else is known about how he developed such a keen reputation as a portraitist. During the 1820s, he rose to prominence when producing numerous works depicting the notable figures of his day. Many of these were engraved for various publishers and disseminated widely.Around 1820, he produced a scene featuring the Yorkshire landowner, and member of parliament, Walter Fawkes accompanied by a rather stout J.M.W. Turner in the grounds at Farnley Hall. How he came to paint them is unclear but he certainly moved within the right circles.Following his debut at the Royal Academy, British Institution and Society of British Artists, he continued to work from his London studio, living first in Mile End and later at Beaumont Square in Stepney with his wife and five children. All was apparently well and in 1841, a Royal commission followed when Prince Albert sat for him.However, the following year, his wife Elizabeth died prematurely leaving him to raise his family single-handed. And to compound his distress, he had become seriously unwell, resulting in a near-total loss of income. The Art Union published a plea in the hope of attracting an act of philanthropy, but to little avail - in 1843, he died of �general debility�.�Mr. John Robert Wildman, a Portrait Painter of considerable talents, has been suffering from illness so severe for the last two years, as to render him utterly incapable of pursuing his professio...