The painting of Sir Foster Cunliffe, 3rd Baronet of Acton Park, Wrexham, shows him standing full length in a wooded landscape, wearing an archer's uniform, with green coat, buff yellow breeches and hessian boots. His archer's plumed black hat rests at his feet.

The picture dates to about 1787. It was displayed at the Wrexham Art Treasures and Industrial Exhibition of 1876 alongside the portrait of Harriet Cunliffe. The exhibition was the cultural highpoint of 19th century Wrexham, with paintings by Reynolds, Gainsborough and Lawrence and archaeological artefacts such as the Caergwrle Bowl and the Westminster Gold Torque on display.

The portrait was painted by John Hoppner, the most celebrated portrait painter in Britain two centuries ago. The successor to Sir Joshua Reynolds, he dominated the art scene in the years 1790-1810, and painted the most famous people of his time, from the Prince of Wales, later George IV, to heroes such as Nelson and Wellington. The current market valuation of the painting is £125,000.

Sir Foster lived at Acton Park, Wrexham, after he bought the hall and its estate in 1787. He developed the house and created new parkland. He was an important member of Wrexham society and was the founder of the Royal Society of British Bowmen. An active member of the Wrexham Yeomanry Cavalry during the Napoleonic Wars, he otherwise led a fairly quiet life at his home on the then northern edge of Wrexham.

Acton Park was the chief house of Wrexham, its most famous inhabitant being the notorious Hanging Judge Jeffreys.

Back in 2005 Wrexham Museum tried to raise the money to secure this painting for the town. Unfortunately we were not able to raise the sum required. The owners decided they could not allow the museum any more time to try to raise the money and so the painting went to auction in London. Until recently we had no idea who had bought the painting. However, in late 2007 while doing some research for an exhibition to make the bicentenary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade, we discovered the current location of the painting - the painting is in the United States and has pride of the place in the University of Michigan Museum of Art.