Since the 1850s, George Frederic Watts had been a close friend of Alfred, Lord Tennyson, the Poet Laureate. He painted his portrait six times.

After Alfred, Lord Tennyson died in 1892, George offered to create a memorial statue to honour his close friend. The finished bronze can still be seen in its original location outside Lincoln Cathedral.

Alfred, Lord Tennyson is depicted pondering over a small flower in his palm, while his dog, Karenina, sits patiently at his feet. Working in gesso grosso, George was able to experiment with the texture of the sculpture. Preparatory versions of Alfred, Lord Tennyson's head are smooth and naturalistic. In contrast, in the final version, George is more experimental creating a heavily textured surface.