Help with date or information on an old painting

[HenningWalker]

A cousin of mine recently shared this photo which shows an (oil?) painting of an ancestor which was taken a few years ago. Unfortunately, the whereabouts of the original is currently unknown for certain so this is the only thing we have to go on.

There are two possible people this could be in the family, both of whom had the same name (Thomas Eardley). One lived from 1835-1923 and the other 1784-1850. I wondered whether anyone might be able to suggest (based on the style/appearance) which of these men it could be? The older of the two was a Harbour Master and the younger was often at sea, though unsure of particular rank or position.

Any help would be much appreciated in trying to solve this mystery!

Many thanks in advance.

[japeflakes]

No date but perhaps a tad easier to see.

[loord74]

well, expert may give answer but through some researches, Victorian-era portraits leaned toward realism and detail, with softer lighting and more naturalistic poses.Clothing evolved to include frock coats and bow ties, as seen in your ancestor's painting, this cover period of 19th Century (1835–1923)

[jim1]

Looking at his age which I would suggest is around 35-40
I would say it's the younger of the 2.
The style of clothing wasn't around in 1820-30 which rules out the older one.

[PatLac]

The younger one was master mariner.

[PatLac]

And in 1871 he was a grocer, provision dealer and book canvasser.

[loord74]

Try to make it better
Rami

[HenningWalker]

Thank you all for your time and input with this post - there are some very interesting things to take in to account!

Thanks again,

Henning