Robert Home
Encyclopedia
Robert Home was a British
portrait oil painting
artist who travelled to the Indian subcontinent
in 1791. During his travels he also painted several historic scenes and landscapes.
Born in Hull
in the United Kingdom as the son of an eminent army surgeon from Greenlaw
in Berwickshire
,, he joined Royal Academy Schools in 1769. He went to Rome in 1773 for further training in painting under Angelica Kauffman and remained in Italy until 1777. From 1783–1789 he worked in Dublin and London before leaving for India in 1790. On 5 February 1791, Home was allowed to follow Lord Cornwallis'
army in the Third Anglo-Mysore War
as it moved towards Bangalore
. Home painted some of his well-known paintings such as The Hostage Princes leaving home with the Vakil, Ghulam Ali and Lord Cornwallis Receiving Tipu Sahib's Sons during the period while he was in South India. In November 1792, Home came into contact with artists Thomas Daniell
and William Daniell
who inspired him to continue painting landscapes. He visited Mahabalipuram (Mamallapuram) in January/February 1793 and the two paintings he painted as a result, titled Ruins of Mahabalipuram are now in the collection of The Asiatic Society, Kolkata
.
In 1795 Home arrived in Calcutta (Kolkata
) and continued his work there as an established artist. He was for some time Secretary of the Society and the first Library-in-Charge (1804) and donated his small but valuable art collection. In 1814 he moved to Lucknow
and became a court painter
of Nawab Ghazi-ud-Din Haider
(1769–1827). He travelled to Kanpur in 1827 where he eventually died in 1834.
His Select Views in Mysore, the Country of Tippoo Sultan were published in London and Madras in 1794, and in Calcutta he made 215 watercolours of Indian mammals, birds and reptiles, some of which were also worked up as oils.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
portrait oil painting
Portrait painting
Portrait painting is a genre in painting, where the intent is to depict the visual appearance of the subject. Beside human beings, animals, pets and even inanimate objects can be chosen as the subject for a portrait...
artist who travelled to the Indian subcontinent
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent, Indo-Pak Subcontinent or South Asian Subcontinent is a region of the Asian continent on the Indian tectonic plate from the Hindu Kush or Hindu Koh, Himalayas and including the Kuen Lun and Karakoram ranges, forming a land mass which extends...
in 1791. During his travels he also painted several historic scenes and landscapes.
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
in the United Kingdom as the son of an eminent army surgeon from Greenlaw
Greenlaw
Greenlaw is a small town situated in the foothills of the Lammermuir Hills on Blackadder Water at the junction of the A697 and the A6105 in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland. Greenlaw was first made the county town of Berwickshire in 1596, and was the first town to take on this role since the...
in Berwickshire
Berwickshire
Berwickshire or the County of Berwick is a registration county, a committee area of the Scottish Borders Council, and a lieutenancy area of Scotland, on the border with England. The town after which it is named—Berwick-upon-Tweed—was lost by Scotland to England in 1482...
,, he joined Royal Academy Schools in 1769. He went to Rome in 1773 for further training in painting under Angelica Kauffman and remained in Italy until 1777. From 1783–1789 he worked in Dublin and London before leaving for India in 1790. On 5 February 1791, Home was allowed to follow Lord Cornwallis'
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis KG , styled Viscount Brome between 1753 and 1762 and known as The Earl Cornwallis between 1762 and 1792, was a British Army officer and colonial administrator...
army in the Third Anglo-Mysore War
Third Anglo-Mysore War
The Third Anglo-Mysore War was a war in South India between the Sultanate of Mysore and the British East India Company and its allies, including the Mahratta Empire and the Nizam of Hyderabad...
as it moved towards Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
. Home painted some of his well-known paintings such as The Hostage Princes leaving home with the Vakil, Ghulam Ali and Lord Cornwallis Receiving Tipu Sahib's Sons during the period while he was in South India. In November 1792, Home came into contact with artists Thomas Daniell
Thomas Daniell
Thomas Daniell was an English landscape painter.-Life:Thomas Daniell was born in 1749 at the Chertsey inn, kept by his father, and was apprenticed to an heraldic painter. Daniell, however, was animated with a love of the romantic and beautiful in architecture and nature. Up to 1784, he painted...
and William Daniell
William Daniell
William Daniell RA was an English landscape and marine painter, and engraver. He travelled extensively in the Far East, helping to produce one of the finest illustrated volumes of the period - "Oriental Scenery". He also travelled around the coastline of Britain to paint watercolours for the...
who inspired him to continue painting landscapes. He visited Mahabalipuram (Mamallapuram) in January/February 1793 and the two paintings he painted as a result, titled Ruins of Mahabalipuram are now in the collection of The Asiatic Society, Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
.
In 1795 Home arrived in Calcutta (Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
) and continued his work there as an established artist. He was for some time Secretary of the Society and the first Library-in-Charge (1804) and donated his small but valuable art collection. In 1814 he moved to Lucknow
Lucknow
Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....
and became a court painter
Court painter
A court painter was an artist who painted for the members of a royal or noble family, sometimes on a fixed salary and on an exclusive basis where the artist was not supposed to undertake other work. Especially in the late Middle Ages, they were often given the office of valet de chambre...
of Nawab Ghazi-ud-Din Haider
Ghazi-ud-Din Haider
Ghazi-ud-Din Haider was the last nawab wazir of Oudh from 11 July 1814 to 19 October 1818 and first King of Oudh from 19 October 1818 to 19 October 1827.-Life:...
(1769–1827). He travelled to Kanpur in 1827 where he eventually died in 1834.
His Select Views in Mysore, the Country of Tippoo Sultan were published in London and Madras in 1794, and in Calcutta he made 215 watercolours of Indian mammals, birds and reptiles, some of which were also worked up as oils.