His lips are slightly parted, and a faint, knowing smile plays at the corners of his mouth, while his pointed beard and mustache are carefully groomed. A crisp, elaborate lace ruff encircles his neck, its delicate pattern rendered with fine, almost translucent brushwork that contrasts with the deep, velvety black of his doublet. A broad, blue sash crosses his chest from shoulder to hip, catching the light with a subtle sheen, and two white, feathery bands accent the dark fabric of his garment.

The background is a muted, shadowy brown that softly frames the sitter’s head and shoulders, allowing the face and costume to emerge with striking clarity. Rubens uses loose, confident brushstrokes in the hair and costume, while the face is modeled with smooth transitions of light and shadow, lending the portrait a vivid sense of presence. The composition is closely cropped, focusing attention on Villiers’ features and the luxurious textures of his attire, with no extraneous objects or setting to distract from the sitter. The portrait was painted by Peter Paul Rubens between 1617 and 1628, and is now recognized as an authentic work by the Flemish master.

Dendrochronology dated the wooden panel to the 1620s, and technical analysis found that its preparation matched the methods used in Rubens’ studio. For many years, this painting hung in the dining room of Pollok House, believed to be a later copy of a lost Rubens original. A major turning point came when layers of old varnish and overpainting were removed, revealing the original surface beneath and prompting a re-examination of its authorship.

Ben van Beneden, director of the Rubenshuis in Antwerp, authenticated the portrait as a genuine Rubens, confirming the sitter as George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham. The portrait’s restoration and rediscovery were documented by the BBC Four series Britain’s Lost Masterpieces in 2017.