Carte de visite albumen portrait of George Cruikshank (1792–1878) seated at a writing desk, photographed by John & Charles Watkins, London, circa 1860s. The elderly sitter is shown in profile holding a pen above a sheet of paper, posed at an ornate studio writing table with inkwell and writing implements visible. Cruikshank was one of the most important English caricaturists and illustrators of the Victorian period, widely known for his political cartoons and for illustrating works by Charles Dickens.

The mount bears the imprint of John & Charles Watkins, 34 Parliament Street, London, Photographers to the Queen and the Prince of Wales. A faint pencil inscription on the reverse appears to identify the sitter as Cruikshank.

George Cruikshank was a central figure in nineteenth-century British illustration, producing influential satirical prints and book illustrations for publications including Oliver Twist and Sketches by Boz. Portraits depicting him in later life at work are uncommon and emphasize his identity as an artist and author.