Frank Athelstane Swettenham (1850–1946) was an outstandingly able and effective colonial administrator, ending his career as Governor of the Straits Colony and High Commissioner for the Federated Malay States. In this portrait, commissioned by the Straits Association in commemoration of Swettenham’s service, Sargent presented his subject as a proud and powerful consul. Sargent’s attention to the finery of his subject’s clothes and possessions draws attention to his position as a colonial administrator.