This portrait is featured in Alex Kidson's 'George Romney: A Complete Catalogue of his Paintings', no. 666, volume 1, page 313, 2015.

Mr Holland was recorded by Romney as living in Wimpole Street, London and in the artist's rough lists, this portrait is assigned to 1785, the year for which his sitter book is missing. Romney recorded being paid his 20 guinea fee by Mr Holland on 10 September 1786, and there is an appointment recorded with him on 15 September that year: perhaps a finishing session or Mr Holland collecting the picture. This portrait is believed to be of Richard Holland, younger brother of the architect Henry Holland who had a long collaboration with Capability Brown. Richard Holland changed his name on marriage to Bateman Robson and had a long political career as an MP.

George Romney (Dalton in Furness 1734-1802 Kendal) was an English portrait painter, born near Dalton in Furness in Cumbria, the third of eleven children to John Rumney, a furniture maker and his wife Ann. (George later changed his name to the more aristocratic sounding Romney). When he was twenty, he left his father's workshop to become the apprentice of local artist Christopher Steele, who although had a reputation for being quite wayward in character, gave Romney a solid grounding in the techniques of painting and a liking for deep fresh colour which became a key characteristic of his work. 

In 1762, Romney moved to London and by the early 1770's had established himself as a key rival to Joshua Reynolds as a portraitist and enjoyed extensive patronage, receiving commissions from aristocratic families such as the Grevilles and Lord and Lady Arundell of Wardour. In 1755, he leased a house in Cavendish Square in a fashionable part of London where aristocratic families were building properties and he worked for many society figures, including Lord Warwick and the Duke of Richmond. He met his favourite artistic muse, Emma Hart at Cavendish Square through Charles Greville who had commissioned her portrait (later wife of Sir William Hamilton followed by mistress of Lord Nelson), and he painted over sixty portraits of her in various allegorical, mythological and and literary poses.