portrait of a gentleman in late Elizabethan dress on wooden panel. The sitter is identified as Edward Lord Montagu / 1st Lord Montagu of Boughton (b 1560–d 1644) and dated 1601. Lord Montagu is portrayed in a standing position and his right arm extended and bent at the elbow, his right hand resting on his right hip. [the hand appears to have been overpainted or repainted by a lesser artists. It is clumsily formed and lacks the fine modelling, modulation of tone and the realistic representation that is evident in the sitter's left hand, seen lower right].

The background is entirely in black. The man has short cropped hair, a moustache and beard, clipped long and squared below the chin. His gaze is firmly to his left, his head is directed to the right creating a three-quarter profile.

Lord Montagu is wearing a heavily embroidered and decorated dark red or black velvet, bow waisted sleeved doublet and padded breaches. there are six bands of applied gold embroidery on the front of the doublet and the pattern is continued on the sleeves and broad waisted breaches. Each gilded embroidered band is separated by sections of dark material which is slashed in diagonals to reveal a red lining. The embroidered beads are painted in raised paint which is quite pronounced if viewed on the oblique in raking light, the pattern of these can be seen distinctly. The pattern is formed by a central repeating diamond pattern which is bordered by a series of lines representing threads or stitches on either side. An outer border, painted in diagonal brushstrokes, represents the edge stitching of the band. The front of the doublet (1) is fastened with approximately 24 buttons painted in a linear star pattern. Several buttons are obscured by the medallion and belt. The belt is embroidery or decorated with more elaborate and sweeping curvilinear pattern with a chain-like border.

The circular medallion which hangs from a red ribbon looped around the sitter's neck is inscribed "SINCVM : MILLITARE : HONORIS" [sic] [Singum Millitare Honoris] around the medal, three joined semi-circular shapes adorn its centre. The ribbon and medal are overpainted-possibly from a later date. The sitter wears a black cloak on his left shoulder. This may be overpainted. The elaborate neck ruffle, in a fine gauze or starched voile, is formed into fine loops which continue around the neck. The same pattern and material are used in the cuffs. Lord Montagu wears a sword on his left hip, only the engraved handle is visible. Adjacent to the sitter's left hand, the sword belt is draped across the waist from the right hip in a sweep, to below the left hip.

Painting of three wooden panels in an ebonised and gilded frame.