This is the portrait of Robert Peirce (1863–1933), a British-born civil engineer who served as Municipal Engineer in Penang, Malaysia and Singapore (1901 - 1916). Pierce is known for his efforts to improve water supply facilities in the city. In 1922, the Lower Pierce Reservoir was named after him.The painting appears to have an artist signature and date which unfortunately is not clear. Though from a newspaper account, we can surmise that this portrait was painted by the Russian artist, Anatole Shister. Anatole Shister was a naturalised British subject of Russian origin, who trained in the Russian Imperial Academy of Fine Arts. In Malaya he gained a reputation for painting portraits of illustrious people including members of the colonial civil service.
