This bust of Inigo Jones was commissioned as a pair with the bust of Andrea Palladio (1508–1580) by Richard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington. The catalogue of Rysbrack's sale on 24 January 1766 listed these busts as "the original models for the figures of Lord Burlington at Chiswick".
The date of their commission can be approximately established by reference to Lord Burlington's plans for his villa at Chiswick, as both busts are roughly finished at the back which indicated they were intended for an architectural setting.
It is possible that William Kent supplied drafts for the busts as he did for the two full-length statues of Palladio and Jones, which were executed for the 'Palladian' villa Lord Burlington built beside the original Chiswick House.
