The portrait is of Richard Nicholls who was a Newlyn fisherman. He had two fishing boats, PZ 486 Auld Lang Syne which was built for him in 1891 and PZ 663 Speedwell, which was built in 1908 and had a steam engine. The old sailing lugger PZ 486 was one of the boats that went to Whitby every year. His granddaughter has sent a wonderful story of how this portrait came about. Richard was in Whitby and got into conversation with the artist Charles H Thompson (1870-1946) who was painting on the quay. He invited Thompson down to Newlyn and the artist repaid him by painting his portrait. Sadly, we are told that the artist outlived the fisherman who died two or three years after his portrait was painted.