This portrait was a gift to the New-York Historical Society from the subject's great-granddaughter.

The subject may be the Albert B. Sutton who appeared in the New York City Directory from 1828 to 1862. He was a boatbuilder and maintained business premises on Water Street. The portrait was a gift to the New-York Historical Society from the subject's great-grandniece.

The painting depicts the campaign of 1776 featuring the "Tartar," "Roebuck," and "Phoenix" - all under Briish command - which are under fire from Fort Washington and Fort Constitution (what we today call Fort Lee). This painting is a copy of a copy which self-taught British artist William Joy executed after a painting by English naval artist Dominic Serres. Actually, Serres himself made three versions of the scene, one for the captain of each frigate. The painting presented to Parker was formerly in the collection of J.P. Morgan; the painting given to Ommaney, signed and dated 1779, is now in the Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum in Delaware; and the painting owned by Hammond, signed and dated in 1779, is now in the United States Naval Academy Museum at Annapolis.

This portrait is a replica of another oil by Hicks, which is also in the N-YHS collection (1856.2).