Little is known about Nicholas Dixon prior to his appointment as Limner to Charles II in succession to Richard Gibson in 1673, but the similarity in his technique to that of Samuel Cooper has led to the supposition that he may have learnt his art in Cooper's studio. This miniature, which can be dated to c. 1675, must have been painted during his short-lived appointment, for by 1678, Dixon had been succeeded in office by Peter Cross. He is known to have been living until after 1708 and appears to have diversified during the later stages of his career into art dealing and other ventures such as the organisation of a lottery of limned copies of Old Master paintings in 1684/5. The present work is a fine, signed example of Dixon's work from his best period and stands in contrast to later work done in old age which was criticised by George Vertue as 'feeble'. The identification of the sitter as Catherine of Braganza has been questioned as there is some resemblance between this sitter and Mary of Modena, the second wife of James II, as represented c.1675 – 80 by Simon Verelst (1644 – 1721) (Yale Center for British Art). Signed on the left in gold: 'ND' (monogram).