William Y. Brunton is not granted his own entry in the Dictionary of Canadian Biography. His London, Ontario-based auction rooms receive an honourable mention, however. In 1864, Brunton shared these rooms on Richmond Street with Joseph Jeffery, a cabinet maker-cum-businessman who went on to become president of London Life and vice-president of the London Chamber of Commerce. Though Brunton did not achieve a comparable profile in London society, he did earn respect as a fair-dealing auctioneer.

Paul Peel had a successful year in 1888, with paintings exhibited at the Art Association of Montreal, the RoyalCanadianAcademy and the Paris Salon. He continued his studies with Benjamin Constant in Paris, where he worked with Canadian artists George Agnew Reid and Mary Heister Reid. Peel’s decision to place Brunton against a dark, unadorned background is noteworthy: he does not identify Brunton specifically with his profession (as Peel would himself do in his 1890 self-portrait). Yet in creating dramatic contrasts between light and shadow and simplifying his composition, Peel presents a simple and direct portrait that seems to affirm his sitter’s forthright values and trusted reputation.