A poet, dramatist and literary critic, Dryden was appointed Poet Laureate by Charles II in 1668. He wrote over twenty plays, including All for Love (1678), and numerous poems, particularly political satires, such as 'Absalom and Achitophel' (1681), and odes, including the famous 'Ode for St Cecilia's Day'. In 1686 he converted to Roman Catholicism, and at the Revolution of 1688 he was deprived of the laureateship. He devoted the rest of his life largely to translations, notably a verse translation of the works of Virgil. The portrait shows Dryden at around the time of his appointment as Poet Laureate in 1668. This date is supported by the style of his wig and by his appearance as a man in his thirties. The wreath around the cartouche surrounding the portrait, combined with the inscriptions, support the identification of the portrait as a depiction of Dryden at the time he was appointed poet laureate.