This watercolour probably relates to Keene's involvement with the Illustrated London News. Keene was introduced by his friend Samuel Read who became manager of the art department. Read was sent to the Crimea in 1853 as a special artist. It is possible that some of Keene's drawings made at this time were connected with Read's commision, as the 'London News' policy was to employ artists to ghost the special artists. The drawing could also belong to the series of drawings allegedly carried out for Messrs Dickinson, of Bond Street, who Layard recalls as having commissioned Keene to compile a series of drawings on The Siege of Sebastopol from first hand sketches see (Life and Letters, p. 59)

The subject of the watercolour refers to the Storming of the Malakoff, the crucial event that saw the end of the 349 day siege of Sebastopol and the Crimean War. The heavily fortified Malakoff was taken swiftly by the 36,000 French forces of which 5000 were Sardinian reinforcements, known as the 'Armata Sarda', who Keene represents in this drawing attacking the Russians