This portrait, done from life at Disraeli's house in Park Lane, London, is one of many which Barker made for an enormous picture more than 3m long, now in Bradford Museum and Art gallery (in bad condition), titled The Intellect and Valour of Britain. It was described as the artist's last and most important work, a sort of ‘Who’s Who’ of 36 prominent figures from Victorian life, including scientists, politicians, writers, historians, industrialists and military heroes. 

Clever, rebellious, romantic, charming, a best-selling novelist with a chip on his shoulder, Disraeli forged a remarkable political career in which he served twice as Prime Minister, the only one who had been born Jewish (his father converted all four of his children to the Anglican Church in 1817 after a row with his synagogue). Disraeli’s politics were Tory but he believed in one nation Conservatism, broadening its appeal from the rich to the middle classes, and even the poor. Despite his embarrassing debts and his dubious reputation, Queen Victoria found in Disraeli a Prime Minister ‘full of poetry, romance and chivalry’ (as she wrote in 1868). She adored him, and owned another version of this sketch by Barker the same size but somewhat looser, (Royal Collection no 400635), dated ‘4 August 1862’ (ours is dated 'August 1862'). There is a finished studio version at Hughenden, Disraeli's house in Buckinghamshire, now run by the National Trust.