The artist was the eldest son of Sir Henry Chamberlain, Consul-General and Chargé d'Affaires in Rio de Janeiro from 1815 to 1829. He is best known for his Views and Costumes of the City and Neighbourhood of Rio de Janeiro, published in London in 1822. A similar panoramic view of Rio de Janeiro by Chamberlain is in a private collection, Rio de Janeiro (150 Anos de Pintura no Brasil 1820/1970, Rio de Janeiro, 1989, pp. 58-60)