Possibly Jeffery Dunstan as Dr Last in 'Dr Last in his Chariot' by Isaac Bickerstaffe and Samuel Foote

This theatrical portrait from 1782 shows a performer in character from Dr Last in his Chariot by Isaac Bickerstaffe and Samuel Foote. Johann Zoffany was the foremost painter of theatrical portraits in Georgian England, documenting the great actors of the London stage in their most famous roles with a precision and vivacity that made his theatrical paintings among the most sought-after works in British collecting. Zoffany's oil technique achieved exceptional textural fidelity in the rendering of fabrics, scientific instruments, and domestic interiors, combining Flemish-inspired precision with a natural observation of group dynamics. His theatrical paintings transformed portraiture by showing their subjects in character rather than as private individuals, making the actor's professional identity the subject of the painting. The Holburne Museum in Bath holds this theatrical portrait within its collection of British decorative and fine arts, recognizing Zoffany's theatrical subjects as a defining contribution to the visual culture of Georgian England.

The theatrical portrait captures the performer's dramatic gesture and expression in character, with Zoffany's detailed technique rendering both costume and stage presence with equal precision.