Lord Clyde is depicted in a field marshal's greatcoat and plumed hat and wearing the badge of the Order of the Bath; a battlefield landscape is seen beyond to the right.The miniaturist is identified as 'Ed. Upton' in the Royal Library inventory of 1881. The miniature is not painted over a photographic base, but derives from a three-quarter-length studio photograph by Roger Fenton of c.1855. It is unevenly executed, with some passages, such as the background to the right of the sitter, poorly worked and possibly even unfinished.

Sir Colin Campbell, 1st Baron Clyde (1858), son of John M'Liver and Agnes Campbell and adopted son of Colin Campbell, pursued a military career, seeing service in the Peninsular Wars, the China War, the Sikh War of 1848 and the Crimean War. He was commander-in-chief in India 1857 – 60 at the time of the Indian Mutiny and recaptured Lucknow. In 1862 he was created field marshal and died, unmarried, the following year. As Sir Colin Campbell he served as Aide-de-Camp to Queen Victoria from 1842 to 1854. He dined with Queen Victoria at Windsor on 20 November 1855; she found him on that occasion 'a charming, frank, merry old soldier, very agreeable & attractive … He has all the good manners of an older generation, which are not seen now alas!' (RA QVJ).