George Lawrence, a captain in the 2nd Bengal Light Cavalry, was a prominent figure in the 1st Afghan War, working as military assistant to Mr Macnaughten and attending the 'talks' with him when he was captured, and Macnaughten was brutally killed by Akhbar Khan. The pastel sketch by Vincent Eyre shows Captain Lawrence in Afghan clothes as a prisoner and hostage of Akhbar Khan. The same artist sketched many of the other hostages such as Mrs Macnaughten. They mostly wore Afghan clothes to reduce the chance of being killed by the local people.
