Oil on canvas in a fine carved 17th 18th century frame.The style and type of this portrait was popular in the 17th and 18th centuries as a means to emphasise and glorify a sitter’s importance. The attire is an indication of wealth and status and subjects often quite consciously engineered their public image in an ambition to stand out from others. Portraiture was often regarded as a means of displaying achievements, capabilities and superiority. The fine armour was never used in actual battle but signified the sitter’s importance in social rank. Sitters in these portraits were often placed in outdoor settings sometimes with military encampments or amongst battlefields. Here, the artist chose to concentrate solely on the sitter without any distractions. The drawing is very good as is the treatment of the armour. In 1680s European fashion, mens wigs developed a middle part and this continued to grow in volume until by the 1690s two very high pronounced points developed on t...