Portrait of Master J W Wanley, three-quarter length, wearing a pink silk waistcoat with tassel trim, a bullfinch perched on his outstretched hand with his black and white pet cat at his side. Oil on canvas in a period giltwood frame. 

Frans van der Mijn was born in Antwerp in 1719, and was taught by his father, painter Heroman van der Mijn for whom he is likely to have worked as an assistant. He established himself as a portrait painter in Amsterdam during the years 1742-1748 and The Hague before moving to England c.1750 where painted portraits, sending a painting in to the London Society of Artists each year during 1761-1772. As well as his father Herman, his brothers Robert, George, Andreas and Gerard and his sister Cornelia were also painters.