Louis John Steele was Auckland's first resident portraitist - others artists such as Gottfried Lindauer came and went - but from his arrival in mid 1886, Steele made Auckland his home. He set the standard for portraits of the great and the good, as well as undertaking private commissions.

This painting is one such example: the sitter is believed to be P. Dawson. The date and subject align with published descriptions of the work of this title that Steele showed at the annual Auckland Society of the Arts exhibition in April 1898. The New Zealand Herald review commended the portrait as Steele's most important work that year. The review continued: This portrait was painted after the decease of that gentleman, from the most slender materials, and the portrait has been eminently successful. There is all the artist's usual care displayed, both in drawing and general tout ensemble…. Great praise is due to the general painting. The simple portrait is beautifully observed: the light falling on the face, the distinctive colouration of Dawson's hair and beard, and the way he grips the chair with his left hand, a fondly remembered mannerism perhaps. Dawson is portrayed as a prosperous merchant, giving today's viewer an impression of an Aucklander 120 years ago, when Auckland was just a burgeoning town. Jane Davidson-Ladd

Auckland Society of Arts Exhibition: Second Notice, New Zealand Herald, 30 April 1898 See also: Auckland Society of Arts', Auckland Star, 29 April 1898