Scottish economist Sir James Mirrlees won the 1996 Nobel Memorial Prize for Economics. He is a highly respected figure in the field of information economics and it was for his economic models and equations, published whilst teaching at Oxford University, that he received the Nobel Prize. Ji’s portrait positions Mirrlees within a composition that gives an insight into this distinguished background. On the wall in the background hangs a replica of a metope from the Parthenon which shows Hercules returning the world to Atlas’ shoulders. This narrative highlights the moment when wisdom triumphs over strength – a reference to the sitter’s intellect. A more overt glimpse into Mirrlees’ career comes from the journal on the desk - ‘Ecometricia’, an academic journal of economics.