A study of an elderly man, standing with his right arm and index finger pointing upwards. He has a long white beard and hair: he wears the Salvation Army uniform of la ong coat with epaulettes and braiding on the front, and a tunic with the insignia of the Army, in the centre. It is a circle with points and a coronet at the top, inside which is the motto 'Blood and Fire'. An inner circle has the letter 'S'. Beneath this crest are the words 'The Salvation Army'. The subject stands against a black sky: on the right, in the background, is an industrial landscape, with chimneys belching out smoke. Behind the General is the Salvation Army flag. The sitter was the founder of the Salvation Army.