An Unknown Man, called John Milton (1608-1674)

Mary Beale (Barrow 1633 – London 1699). Oil painting on canvas, called John Milton, by Mary Beale (Barrow 1633 – London 1699), circa 1660. A half-length painted oval portrait of a man believed to be John Milton, turned to the left, facing the viewer, wearing a black robe and white bands, in a feigned sculpture oval on which is written MILTON. John Milton was one of the greatest English poets of the 17th Century, most famous as the author of the two epic poems 'Paradise Lost' and 'Paradise Regained'. This painting was almost certainly acquired by Charles Winn in the 19th Century, as a companion to the portrait of Milton's friend, Andrew Marvell. Though it is impossible to be sure of the true identity of the sitter, this composition has been used in several later representations of Milton, including that in Birch's 'Heads of Illustrious Persons' of 1813. Nostell Priory, West Yorkshire (Accredited Museum)