Abraham Bruiningh van Worrell (active 1809-49) was a painter and print maker, based both in Middleburg in Holland, and in London. At home he had achieved full membership of the Royal Academies of Holland and Belgium. As well as producing Dutch views for the English market, he painted English scenes in his polished Dutch style. Between 1820 and 1849 he exhibited his works at the Royal Academy, the British Institute and at the Royal Society of British Artists in Suffolk Street. He is also known for his lithograph of a giraffe and his keeper, published by the artist in 1827.

Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany, army officer and Bishop of Osnabrück, was the second son of George III and Queen Charlotte. In 1791, a marriage was arranged for him with Frederica Charlotte Ulrica Catherina (1767–1820), eldest daughter of Frederick William II, King of Prussia, and his first wife, Elizabeth of Brunswick. In 1798, he was made Commander-in-Chief of the army and helped to introduce a system whereby more men were promoted on merit, rather than through purchase or nepotism. In order to improve the officers' training, he founded the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, and a military school at High Wycombe which was the forerunner of Sandhurst. Among his innovations were improvements to the style and provision of the clothing of soldiers on active duty. He was popular and jovial – William Thackeray described him as 'big, burly, loud, jolly, courageous, cursing'. In this genre-portrait the Duke is seated on a dappled grey pony, gesturing with a whip to his gamekeeper, Godfry, who deferentially touches his top hat. His groom stands on the left holding two guns. In the centre Neptune, the celebrated retriever, gazes out at the spectator; the scene is set against an undulating landscape near Belvoir Castle, under a cloudy sky. A mezzotint after this painting was made by William Giller, and published in 1827.