Princess Mary (1786-1859) was the third daughter of Tsar Paul I. In 1804, she married Charles Frederick, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenbach. This portrait was probably painted from life when the Grand Duchess visited England for the coronation of George IV in 1821.

James Holmes (1777-1860) was the son of a dealer in precious stones. He was apprenticed to an engraver, R. M. Meadows, when he was young and entered the Royal Academy schools in 1796. Holmes was one of the founders and president (in 1849) of the Society of British Artists and exhibited in London between 1795 and 1849. He taught drawing, painted watercolours, miniatures and pictures in oil, and was also an engraver and lithographer. Lord Byron invited him to Italy to paint his daughter and Holmes also painted a well-known and popular portrait of Byron himself in 1815. George IV often invited Holmes to court to play music and to sing and the artist painted what became a popular portrait of the king in 1828.

The miniature is signed and dated on the flower pot on the right I. Holmes 1821, and inscribed on the backing card in ink: Painted by Js Holmes 1821.