Henry Pierce Bone was the eldest son and pupil of the enamel painter Henry Bone R.A. (1755-1834) and his wife, Elizabeth, née Van der Meulen (d. c. 1830). He entered the Royal Academy School at the age of sixteen, after some training in oil and enamel painting by his father. After the death of his father in 1834 he focused on enamel painting and produced copies of works by Old Masters and portraits of the Spencer family, some of which were painted from life. He succeeded his father as enamel painter to Queen Adelaide, Victoria, Duchess of Kent, and to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, but unlike his father, he was never admitted to the Royal Academy. On 14 October 1805 he married Anna Maria Long of St James's, Clerkenwell, the daughter of a watchmaker. They had four sons and three daughters. Henry Pierce Bone died on 21 October 1855 and 172 of his enamels were sold at Christie's on 13-14 March 1856.
A similar pair of miniatures painted for Henry Pierce Bone's daughter Elizabeth in July 1847 and May 1849 (D. Foskett, Dictionary of British Artists, London, 1972, I, p. 172, II, pl. 22, nos 70, 71) was sold Christie's, London, 9 November 1965, lot 72. Another pair painted for his daughter Maria was sold Christie's, London, 31 March 1981, lot 72.