Portrait of Grinling Gibbons

Grinling Gibbons was the most celebrated wood carver in England, famous for his extraordinarily naturalistic limewood carvings of flowers, fruit, and foliage that adorned palaces and great houses, including the work he executed for Wren at St Paul's Cathedral. His friendship with John Evelyn, who brought his work to the attention of Charles II, set him on the path to royal appointment. Kneller's portrait of a craftsman of this distinction is a measure of Gibbons's extraordinary status.

Gibbons is likely shown with carving tools or examples of his craft visible, asserting his professional identity. Kneller's portrait of a craftsman rather than an aristocrat adopts a more informal register, with the sitter's confident bearing reflecting his extraordinary reputation.