Evan Evans (Ieuan Glan Geirionydd) was born in Tan-y-celyn, Trefriw, Caernarfonshire. The son of a local poet and farmer, he won the prize at the 1820 Wrexham Eisteddfod for his awdl 'Hiraeth Cymro am ei wlad mewn bro estronawl'. He then trained for the ministry and was ordained at St Martin's Church, Chester in 1826. He published numerous poems, hymns and translations in Welsh. This portrait was probably painted by either Hugh Hughes (1790–1863) or William Jones 'Jones of Chester' (1787–1873). The opinion of Peter Lord is that it is unlikely to be the work of Hugh Hughes as the age of the sitter suggests a date in the 1820s and it is unlikely Hughes had the skills to produce a portrait of this quality at that time. Lord also points out that the sitter seems to be depicted as a poet rather than a clergyman, suggesting a date of before 1826 when Evans was ordained.