John Barlow was an Anglican Clergyman and Secretary of the Royal Institution (Ri) between 1843 and1860. As Secretary he was responsible for restructuring the way the Ri was run after the discovery that the Assistant Secretary had been defrauding the institution for some years. He also lectured there on the practical applications of science. Despite their differing religious views, Barlow enjoyed a close friendship with Michael Faraday. He took over much of Faraday's administrative work at the Ri in the early 1840s when Faraday’s health deteriorated and they worked together on recruiting more women members to the Institution. The artist had a long standing association with the Ri and in 1857 he wrote to the Managers offering to paint and donate a portrait of a ‘distinguished person’ of their choice.