During the period of peace following the Napoleonic Wars, increasingly elaborate (and often quite impractical) military attire was devised, particularly by George IV. By the time William IV came to the throne in 1830, uniforms had become too expensive and were simplified and adapted once again. The result of these changes was codified and promulgated in the 1831 Dress Regulations. These paintings were intended to provide a visual record of the recent changes to military dress. Their value is not only historical, however, but also aesthetic: Drahonet produces lively, slightly elongated figures, capturing their facial expressions and setting them in a variety of organic poses.

Each painting in the series depicts a single figure against a neutral background. Although their uniform and accoutrements are the focus, the sitters are often identified by name, as well as regiment and rank. This sitter, the inscription relays, is a Sergeant of the 23rd Royal Welch Fusiliers called ‘W. Simms’, although the four chevrons on his sleeves suggest he is in fact a Quartermaster-Sergeant.

With this near-frontal portrait, Drahonet clearly illustrates the uniform and accoutrements of the 23rd Royal Welch Fusiliers. Unlike other Line Infantry Regiments, the Royal Welch continued to wear bearskins in this period, with their regimental badge at the centre. The single-breasted red coatee with shoulder wings was common to many regiments of the Line Infantry, as were the dark, Oxford mixture trousers. The design of the white lace, particularly on the dark blue Prussian collar, is distinctive.