Study, one of two, by John Bacon the Elder (1740-1799) for a full-length, life-size sculpture of Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis (1738-1805), who served as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland and was the first Governor General of India. The drawing shows the Marquess in Roman armour with an olive branch in his right hand and his left hand on the hilt of a sword which is tucked under his arm. This sculpture was one of Bacon's most important commissions. The marble figure was executed in 1793 for the East India Company, and it now stands in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London. It is interesting to note that a choice of drawings was prepared for presentation to the client.The alternative design for the sculpture, which is closer in pose to the actual statue, is also at the V&A (Museum number E.423-2008).

Bacon began his career as a modeller in a porcelain factory, going on to design for the ceramic and metalwork industries. His career as a sculptor, however, took off when the Archbishop of York commissioned a bust of George III. His best known works are the monuments to Thomas Guy in Guy's Hospital, Pitt the Elder in Westminster Abbey, and Dr. Johnson at St. Paul's Cathedral.