A newly-discovered painting of John Dryden, the first Poet Laureate, has gone on public show at the National Portrait Gallery.

A newly-discovered painting of John Dryden, the first Poet Laureate, which went on public show at the National Portrait Gallery today

The oil is believed to have been painted when Dryden was appointed in 1668, to celebrate the creation of the post.

Dryden, aged then in his mid-30s and at the peak of his career, appears with a slight smile, wearing a wig and surrounded by a decorative oval surround and wreath.

Short quotations on the surround by six Roman poets, Virgil, Horace, Martial, Juvenal, Ovid and Statius, refer to the tradition of wreathing poets with laurels, ivy, oak or olive, and the main inscription "par omnibus unus", translates as "one (poet) a match for (them) all".

The Dryden portrait, painted by Charles II's court artist Michael John Wright – whose official title was "Picture Drawer in Ordinary" – was bought by the NPG for £225,000, with help from The Art Fund charity, which donated £45,000.

Sandy Nairne, director of the NPG said: 'This is a very fine portrait of Dryden, one which celebrates the man and also the Poet Laureateship itself. I am most grateful for the support that has made this acquisition possible."

The NPG said the work was an important addition to its collection, as it is the first portrait to come to light showing Dryden in the role of Poet Laureate.

The painting was listed in an 1850 inventory of West Horsley Place, the historic home of Sir Edward Nicholas, secretary of state to Charles I and Charles II, and passed into the hands of private collectors before being acquired by the NPG.

David Barrie, director of The Art Fund, said: "John Dryden is a significant figure in the country's literary history. This painting is a valuable acquisition for the National Portrait Gallery, featuring the poet at the pinnacle of his career."

Andrew Motion, the present laureate, will step down from the post next month after 10 years.