A pencil drawing of a young boy, probably Queen Victoria's third son, Prince Arthur, receiving a drumming lesson from a soldier. Prince Arthur is shown to the left, facing right. The soldier is shown twice to the left, facing the young boy. Inscribed lower right: Aug: 56.

Prince Arthur had his first drumming lesson at the age of six on 21 June 1856, something which Queen Victoria described in her journal entry of that day as "the object of his ambition since more than a year".

On the 25 August 1856, Prince Arthur accompanied his parents and older sister Princess Louise to inspect troops at Parkhurst on the Isle of Wight. His mother recorded in her journal that her son was 'greatly delighted at seeing "my man" as he called the Drum Major, who teaches him to drum, & the little Drummer boy, whom he called "my little boy".'