Nathaniel Tucker is an often overlooked portrait painter who worked in northern England in the mid-to-late 18th century. In Sheffield he painted numerous portraits between 1665 and 1680, including a atmospheric scene of The Last Supper for a parish church.
The National Portrait Gallery in London holds engtaved prints after his originals. One of these is the quirky portrait of William Fittock, Mayor of St Mawes. In the latter work (a print of which was sold by the Lander Gallery) the subject has a view of the coastline behind him which suggests that the artist visited Cornwall.
The sitter has been traditionally identified as Joanna Poyntz, who married Sir James Dances Bt. A modern plaque on the frame suggests the portrait was painted in Jamacia in around 1770.