The sitters are possibly brothers - Jagat Singh on the left and Man Singh on the right. A number of Indian cavalry officers visited de László’s studio in London in May 1916, possibly to see his portrait of ‘the Indian prince’, carefully entering their names and regiments in his sitters’ book in English and Punjabi, leaving their address in India. De László never visited the sub-continent, but nevertheless, according to Rutter, painted this double portrait for himself. It was greatly admired by Austen Chamberlain, the Secretary of State for India, who asked de László to produce a small version of a Red Cross sale in Bombay which was being organised by Lady Willingdon, the wife of the Viceroy. Instead, de László painted a one-sitting sketch of another Indian officer for the nominal fee of 50 guineas, which was raffled in Bombay for £650. That portrait now remains in a private collection.