The sitter (1861 - 1947) was President of the Royal Society in London from 1930 - 1935. Richard Morphet's catalogue of Frampton's works shown at the Tate Gallery in 1982 sketches Sir Frederick's achievement in establishing bio-chemistry as a discipline in its own right. The equipment might signify his methodology but is used for flanking the composition rather than depicting actuality. On the left is "a SOXHLET extraction apparatus placed on an electrically heated water bath...." In a contemporary review Eric Newton admired the sheer visual excitement in the painting of the equipment, " the shine on the glass, the liquids in the test tubes, the curve of the rubber tubing, the torn edge of the blotting paper..." p.66

The painting measures 111.8 x 99.0 cms and is in the collection of the Royal Society, London. It was shown at the Royal Academy London exhibition in 1938 and was presented to the Royal Society by subscribers.