A fine mid-19th-century portrait of a dapper gentleman wearing a navy frock coat, white waistcoat and black necktie. He stands proudly before a distant castle, so perhaps he’s a man of means.

During the 1840s, male fashion was inspired by the style of a young Prince Albert. As a result, men often sported an hourglass figure with tightly cinched waists and barrel chests. They also tended to wear tight trousers and waistcoats with high upstanding collars.

This particular piece began life as a drawing and many of the details in the background are either outlines or gently coloured with a wash. This gives the painting an interesting unfinished quality and perhaps it was the work of an amateur learning their craft.

Could it be a portrait of the artist’s father or husband?

The painting is housed within a 19th-century gilded frame with decorative borders and acanthus leaf corners.