This portrait of the actor-manager John Philip Kemble (1757-1823) in the title role of Joseph Addison’s play Cato, a Tragedy was published in London in 1823. It was drawn by the Maltese lithographer Maxim Gauci (1774-1854) who settled in London in 1809. He based his lithograph on the plaster bust of 1814 by the Welsh sculptor John Gibson RA (1790-1866) who later established a successful sculpture studio in Rome. The bust is now in the collection of London's Garrick Club. In a letter of 1862 Gibson recalled: ‘It is the only bust modelled of John Kemble - he sat to me at Liverpool when I was very young.' A bronze version without the details of the cloak drapery, also dated 1814, is in London’s National Portrait Gallery, while another plaster version, ca.1816, is in Sir John Soane's Museum.

Addison’s play about the Roman soldier and senator Marcus Porcius Cato was written in 1712 and originally produced at Drury Lane Theatre in April 1713, starring Barton Booth as Cato. Kemble first played the part there on 28th April 1784, and again on 15th November the same year, a year after his first appearance at Drury Lane as Hamlet. When he was manager and a shareholder of Covent Garden Theatre, he played Cato in a revival there on 26th January 1811, a further sixteen times that season, and five the next. His success in the role was immortalised in 1812 by the monumental painting by Thomas Lawrence (1769-1830), now in the National Portrait Gallery, showing Kemble in costume for the role.

Kemble reappeared as Cato at Covent Garden in May and June 1817, choosing it as one of the parts he wished to play in his final season. He retired from the stage on 23rd June, his final part being another legendary Roman leader, Coriolanus.