Painted in 1833–34, Cunningham is shown wearing rear-admiral’s undress uniform, 1833–55, with the star and neck order of a Knight Commander of Hanover. In 1779 Cunningham was briefly first lieutenant to Nelson in the ‘Hinchingbrooke’. During the Nore mutinies in 1797, while in command of the ‘Clyde’ which was refitting at the Nore (the naval anchorage off the entrance to the river Medway which gave its name to one of the chief commands of the Royal Navy), he managed to persuade his crew to return to their duty and got the ship away to Sheerness. This was the signal for other ships to do the same and the mutiny ended. See also ‘Escape of HMS “Clyde” from the Nore mutiny, 30 May 1797’ (BHC0496) and ‘HMS “Clyde” arriving at Sheerness, 30 May 1797’ (BHC0497), both painted by William Joy.

Henry Wyatt (1794–1840) entered the Royal Academy Schools in 1812 and studied under Sir Thomas Lawrence in 1815. He exhibited at the Royal Academy 1817–38.