The portrait was acquired in 1935 as a portrait of Aylmer by Kneller. Later it was suggested that the portrait was not definitely Aylmer, although it was thought to look like him (‘A preliminary descriptive catalogue of the portraits in the National Maritime Museum’, 1961). The features, however, seem to agree with those shown in the mezzotint, the artist of which is not known (PAF3314), although less with the 19th-century copy after Lely (circa 1678) in the Greenwich Hospital Collection (BHC2521), presented by the fifth Lord Aylmer in 1837.

He wears a grey silk coat, rust drape and a brown full-bottomed wig. The Battle of Barfleur, 19 May 1692, is shown in the background with Aylmer’s ship, the ‘London’, 96 guns. The Rear-Admiral of the Blue’s flag may have been added later. If the suggested date for the portrait is1692–93 is correct, the attribution to Richardson may be questionable as most of his known works date from after 1700.

In 1714 Aylmer became the second Governor of Greenwich Hospital. He was also Ranger of Greenwich Park and lived in the Queen’s House where he died (he entertained George I there on several occasions). He founded the Hospital School for the sons of seamen at Greenwich.