A very attractive example of the type of small-scale panel portraits often of splendid beauties of the time, that were fashionable from the mid-17th century up to the late 19th century. The portrait represents Sir Thomas Wharton (c.1615-1684) of Edlington, Yorkshire at the age of about 25 in the year 1639. Sir Thomas was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1659 and 1660 and a respected professional soldier who served for a number of years as a commander of foot in Ireland. He was the son of Sir Thomas Wharton of Aske Hall and his wife Lady Philadelphia Carey, daughter of Robert Carey, 1st Earl of Monmouth. He was educated at Eton College from 1624 to 1625 and matriculated at Exeter College, Oxford in 1626 at the age of just 11. Three years later he set out on a Grand Tour of France, an expected cultural exercise for aristocratic young gentleman. When he returned he entered Lincoln''s Inn in 1638. In 1659, Wharton was elected Member of Parliament in the Third...