Morier was a Swiss military and sporting painter who started working for William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland (1721-65) in 1747, when he painted a series of pictures of troops under his command. From 1752 until 1764 he was employed as ‘limner’ (painter) to the Duke on an annual salary of £100; his name also appears regularly in royal accounts from 1764 to 1767.

The label at the bottom of this painting of a private on a rearing charger, like the label on a scientific specimen bottle, marks it out as one of several in a collection of military figures. Though the horse is in motion, it has a frozen quality, like the images on coins or emblems, and the brushstrokes on the grass are perfunctory, added for effect rather than description. The only indication of a battle is the fortress visible on the extreme right, alongside the extensive mountainous landscape.