Portray in a painting originally left in museum nearby (4)
I believe the answer is:
limn
'portray' is the definition.
(I know that portray can be written as limn)
'originally left in museum nearby' is the wordplay.
'originally' indicates taking the first letters.
The initial letters of 'left in museum nearby' is 'LIMN'.
'in a painting' acts as a link.
This may not be correct. Some or all of it may belong to another bit of the clue.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for limn that I've seen before include "Paint or draw, or portray in words" , "Depict or describe" , "Represent in painting" , "Paint or describe in words" , "Paint or Illuminate" .)