Portrait of a Gentleman, traditionally identified as Sir Elijah Impey, the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, three-quarter length, in a blue jacket and white satin waistcoat with gold frogging, in an Indian landscape

During their time in India Sir Elijah and his wife Lady Impey became deeply interested in Indian flora and fauna and amassed a large collection of animals and birds in their house in Middleton Row, Calcutta. From 1777 onwards they employed three Indian artists from Patna to record the collection and between them they created more than 300 paintings.