The Deodar Cedar tree (Cedrus deodara), also known as the Indian or Himalayan cedar, is an important lumber tree native to the Himalayas, from Tibet to Afghanistan, though it also grows at high altitudes in India. Elegant in appearance, with evergreen swinging branches, it can live for a thousand years and can potentially reach a height of 76 metres, spreading outwards to 15 metres or more.

This painting by the British artist Frederick William Alexander de Fabeck (1830–1912) dates from 1864. He and his brother, William Frederick de Fabeck, were both employed in the Indian Medical Service, which served the Indian army. Frederick studied in Paris and became a licentiate of the Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh, in 1858, the year in which he was appointed assistant surgeon in the Bengal Service. Both brothers were also distinguished artists and spent much of their spare time sketching and painting their surroundings.

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