As early as 1789, Barker had painted a double portrait of himself working on a landscape, whilst his patron Charles Spackman looked over his shoulder. The present portrait dates from around 1800.

An old copy indicates that it originally extended to the right and included a profile-portrait of a Mr. Thomas Shew looking at the painting in Barker's easel. This has been cut away and the last traces of it painted out, but the painter's eyes still turn in its direction. Thomas Shew lived at Weston-Super-Mare and was presumably the original owner of this picture.