Portrait of Rear Admiral Samuel Greig (1736-1788), half-length, wearing the Order of Saint George, Second Class

The present oil depicts Samuel Greig (1736-1788) in his Rear Admiral uniform wearing the Order of St Andrew, Second Class. The portrait is painted after Ivan Argunov's (1727-1802) larger, three-quarter length portrait of Greig of circa 1772, which is held in the collection of the State Russian Museum, St Petersburg.

Born in Scotland, Greig joined the merchant fleet straight from school and then the Royal Navy. When Empress Catherine the Great appealed to British Naval officers to join the Russian Navy, Greig duly signed up and was appointed captain of the first rank. An illustrious military career ensued. Greig fought valiantly against the Turks in the Battle of Chesme Bay in 1770 and again in 1774 when the Russians triumphed over the enemy. Appointed full admiral in 1782, Greig's last battle took place against the Swedish fleet which attacked St Petersburg in July 1788. The Russians emerged the victors and Admiral Greig was awarded the highest Russian order of chivalry, the order of St Andrew, First Class by the delighted Empress.