A naval officer from Dundee, Duncan's career had been worthy but unremarkable until his last posting, when he emerged as one of Britain's great heroes of the Revolutionary Wars. With Duncan at its command, a British North Sea fleet achieved a resounding victory over the Dutch allies of the French Revolutionary government at the Battle of Camperdown on 11 October 1797. This is a study for, or smaller replica of, a whole-length portrait that was engraved in 1798 to commemorate his success.