English: Line engraving of Alfred the Great by the engraver and antiquary George Vertue for the folio edition of The History of England. Written in French by Mr. Rapin de Thoyras, a translation by Nicolas Tindal of Paul de Rapin's Histoire d'Angleterre, originally published in eight volumes between 1724 and 1727. Vertue (1684–1756) was an artist, antiquarian, and art historian whose work on the illustrations for Rapin's translated History took three years. Vertue's portraits could be bought separately by subscription from 1732 or from 1736 as a collection entitled:

The Heads of the Kings of England, proper for Mr. Rapin's History, Translated by N. Tindal, M.A., viz Alfred the Great, Egbert First Monarch of England, Canute the Dane, William the Conqueror, First of the Norman Line and all Succeeding Kings and Sovereign Queens, to the Revolution; with some of the most Illustrious Princes of the Royal Family. Collected, Drawn, and Engraven, with Ornaments and Decorations, by George Vertue. To Which are added the heads of Mr. Rapin and N. Tindal, M.A. and an account of the several Heads, of the Antiquities that have been followed, and of the Pictures Copied for Engraving them

Rapin (1661–1725) was a Huguenot from France whose work was dedicated to George I of Great Britain. Tindal (1687–1774) was vicar of Great Waltham, Essex, who both translated and extended Rapin's Histoire and dedicated his work's 1732–'3 second edition to George I's grandson Frederick, Prince of Wales.

Alfred's portrait is labelled in Latin aelfredus magnus rex angl. ("Alfred the Great, King of England" or "of the English"). Around the portrait are books and documents – symbols of Alfred's literary and legislative works – together with a crown, weapons, and the captured Danish raven banner. Scenes representing Alfred's sojourn to the enemy camp in disguise, his purported foundation of the Royal Navy, and his defeat of the Danes surround the portrait. Attributed arms (an asymmetric cross fleury) appear on a small shield surmounted by a crown. (NB: in the first version of Vertue's portrait of Alfred on the frontispiece of Francis Wise's 1722 edition of Asser's biography, titled Annales rerum gestarum Ælfredi Magni, the arms are a cross potent fitched at its foot.)

This copy was given to the in 1861 by Henry Witte Martin (together with the other engraved portraits of British and foreign subjects of the Martin Collection; other prints went to the . The page size is now 11 3/8 inches x 8 1/8 in. (288 millimetres x 206 mm). Museum number: NPG D38593.