In 1832 Alexandre-Jean Dubois Drahonet was commissioned by King William IV to paint one hundred pictures illustrating the uniform of the Army and the Navy. Ninety-one of the one hundred are still in the collection today. These are some of the few military works by Drahonet that are recorded, along with paintings depicting the French Navy in the Musée de la Marine, Paris.

Each picture in the series profiles one figure against a neutral background, focusing on details of uniform. The sitters are sometimes identified by name, and are otherwise classified by rank and regiment. This painting depicts Pensioner Joseph Burgin of the Royal Hospital Greenwich.