Against an evening sky an armed merchantman sails, in choppy waters, with a tanker in the distance.

Burgess studied in Sydney, but settled in England in 1901 where he continued his studies in St Ives, Cornwall. He exhibited his works in Paris and at the Royal Academy in London from 1904. He worked as an illustrator for The Graphic and the Illustrated London News and was also an art publisher. In 1918 he was appointed the official naval artist for the Commonwealth of Australia.

A painting of a similar size entitled 'Standard Merchantman at the time of the First World War', dated early to mid-20^th century, is in the National Maritime Museum, 54.6 x 91.4 cm (BHC1535). Burgess, together with the artist Edward Frederick Skinner (1865-1924), recorded the royal visit of King George V and Queen Mary to Cammell Laird, Birkenhead, in 1917 (Williamson Art Gallery).

The painting bears a George V private property label on the reverse, suggesting that it may have been acquired by him.