Moses Kimball, Jr., a dry-goods merchant in Newburyport, Massachusetts, was a typical sitter for William Jennys, an itinerant portrait painter who traveled around New England depicting members of the merchant class. Jennys, born in Boston, trained with his father, also a portraitist. His style is characterized by a realistic rendering and heavy shading of the sitter's face. Recent conservation of this painting was made possible by a generous contribution through the Adopt-a-Painting program in honor of Sam and Patty McCullough.