This portrait depicts Raffles as youthful, confident and knowledgeable, surrounded by symbols of his scholarly work: the manuscript paper in his hand, a writing desk with paper, ink and quill, and sculptures from Java.The original painting by George Francis Joseph was made after Raffles returned to England from Java in 1816, where he had been Lieutenant-Governor. In England, Raffles worked on his monumental volume, The History of Java. Its publication in 1817 led to him being knighted and the book was a success in London. This well-executed copy by John Adamson was presented for display at the Victoria Memorial Hall in 1912.
