A half-length portrait slightly to the left showing Hudson in the full dress uniform of the East India Company marine service; the coat is partly buttoned. A red curtain hangs behind him revealing a seascape with a ship to the left.
Robert Hudson made a total of eight voyages with the East India Company, beginning as a midshipman in 1776. He was an officer in the 'Ponsborne' (758 tons), the 'Vansittart' (828 tons) and the 'Houghton' (778 tons); he gained command of the latter in 1793, making two voyages as captain. He retired from sea service in 1798 and became a director of the Company.