This portrait of a young man, identified as J. Ward by the inscription on his dog's collar, was painted while Gilbert Stuart, a Rhode Island native, was working in the London studio of his mentor Benjamin West. The sitter's pose, costume and canine companion were all meant to allude to the great 17th century portraitist, Anthony Van Dyck, who was much admired by Stuart's contemporaries. The picture was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1779.