This cabinet miniature depicts the poet, dramatist and publisher Robert Dodsley seated at a table with the tools of his trade – ink, paper, books and a manuscript. His beige frock coat, matching waistcoat and ‘physical’ wig are all the typical attire of a gentleman belonging to a learned profession.*Born in Mansfield in 1704, Robert Dodsley was the eldest son of a schoolmaster and as such would have benefitted from a good basic education. Apprenticed initially to a stocking weaver, Dodsley then worked as a footman before publishing his first book in 1729. It was the first of many publications in a career that saw him open a bookshop in Pall Mall and become a leading writer and publisher. Amongst the many hundreds of books he published was the Annual Register and the first printing of Tristram Shandy, a book that had previously been turned down by several of his contemporaries.*The likeness in the portrait compares well to other known portraits of Dodsley including Willi...