The four ship portraits in this lot were painted for Captain Edward H. Bayly, C.B., R.N., during a distinguished career spanning forty years. Joining the navy as a Cadet in 1863, he received his promotion to Captain in 1894 having served overseas in numerous ships before joining the battleship Iron Duke in the late 1880's. In 1897 he commissioned the new cruiser Pelorus and in February 1899 was appointed to the command of the armoured cruiser Aurora on the China Station. His last command was the old battleship H.M.S. Monarch - by then reduced to a guardship - in 1902, an apparent demotion probably indicative of poor health, especially since his name disappears from the Navy Lists soon afterwards suggesting early death instead of retirement.