Rectangular miniature in gouache (bodycolour) on ivory, in a plain-moulded gilded wooden frame. The ivory is a little warped and the gilt and gesso frame finish is damaged. The unidentified sitter is shown three-quarter length, standing on the deck of his ship, half turned to his right but with his blue eyes glancing out to the viewer. He has receding, close-cut, centrally parted red hair, with long sideburns curving down to the corners of his mouth, and wears 1825-27 captain's full-dress uniform, with a high black stock over his shirt collar. The uniform epaulettes bear only an anchor, showing him to be a captain of under three years' seniority: a star was added on reaching that point. He holds his gold-laced uniform hat in his right hand and a closed telescope in his left, which also rests on his sword-hilt: between the two can be seen the lion-heads clasp of his sword belt. He also wears a gold fob chain and seals, and has a gold ring on his left little finger. He is presumably standing on the quarter-deck of his ship, which suggests the black and yellow-banded mast on the left is its mainmast. There is another ship on the horizon beyond, below a lightly clouded blue sky, and a smaller vessel on the far right. The image is signed lower left, 'J. PALMER'.

This is a characterful naive or 'folk-art' representation of a mid-1820s Naval captain, and one which suggests its subject was rather a dandy. It is therefore a pity his identity is lost. Nothing else is known of the artist either, though his hand is clearly a practised and individualistic one. The Museum purchasedthis example in 1962 for its unusual intrinsic interest from Redmile Antiques, Grantham, Lincs.