Bust of head and neck of Captain George Elvey Creasy, on a cube of green marble as base. The sitter's ruggedly handsome appearance and neatly combed hair are complemented by the tattoo represented in incised line on the back of his neck. This shows Neptune, rendered as a merman with a trident, fighting a serpentine sea-dragon embellished with four Nazi swastikas. The piece is signed below this 'C. W. Sc. 1941'.
It was commissioned by the War Artists Advisory Committee and exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1942. It was transferred to the NMM on 'permanent loan' from the Imperial War Museum in November 1947.
Creasy entered the Royal Naval College at Osborne in 1908, saw extensive World War I service, and as a post-war lieutenant became a torpedo specialist from November 1918. He rose to captain in 1935 and became assistant director of the Admiralty plans division, before commanding the first destroyer flotilla in the Mediterranean, in the 'Grenville', from 1938. He ended the war as flag-officer (submarines) in the Far East and was knighted (KCB) in 1949. Post-war appointments were as flag-officer (air) Far East, fifth sea lord and deputy chief, then vice-chief, of naval staff. In 1951 as an admiral he became C-in-C Home Fleet and ended his career as C-in-C, Portsmouth 1954-57, rising to admiral of the fleet in 1955.