Sir Ralph Milbanke, Bt., in the Uniform of the Yorkshire (North Riding) Militia

James Northcote painted Sir Ralph Milbanke in the uniform of the Yorkshire North Riding Militia in 1784. Northcote, a pupil of Reynolds, specialized in portraits and history paintings. The militia uniform reflects the military anxieties of the era—Britain was still recovering from the American Revolutionary War and would soon face the threat of Revolutionary France. Milbanke's granddaughter Annabella would later marry Lord Byron.

Northcote presents the militia officer in a formal portrait composition with the landscape of Yorkshire visible behind. The careful rendering of the military uniform and the solid characterization show Northcote's competent but somewhat rigid style compared to his master Reynolds.