Because William T. Walters had once provided him with financial assistance, Elliott presented this self-portrait to him with the accompanying note:
"You will gratify me by accepting the accompanying portrait of myself, as a slight testimonial of my esteem for you, and I also wish to express my admiration for your manly, consistent, and liberal support of American art."
Elliott also apparently painted a portrait of Walters, but the whereabouts of this work is currently unknown.