Lot 31: Lieutenant Charles W. Thompson , (1824-1895) Three watercolours Watercolour and pencil on paper

Monogrammed, inscribed and dated 'WGT'/ Tuesday 1st September/ 1857' lower right; monogrammed, inscribed and dated WGT'/ Sowar of Police/ Saturday 5th September/ 1857' lower right; monogrammed, inscribed and dated 'WGT/ European Mounted Police/ Tuesday 1st September 1857' lower right Watercolour and pencil on paper

26.7 by 37.5 cm. (10½ by 14¾ in.); 26.7 by 30.5 cm. (10½ by 12 in.); 24.2 by 32.5 cm. (9½ by 12¾ in.)

(3) Lieutenant Charles W. Thompson was born in 1824 and was the youngest son of Rear Admiral John Rawlins Thompson. He belonged to the 9th Bombay Infantry and served in the Southern Mahratta Campaign 1844-45 and the Persian Campaign 1856-7. He was wounded at Seevapore; served during the Indian Mutiny 1857, and during the capture of Kolapoor. He rose to the rank of General Charles Thompson Indian Staff Corps late Commandant HM IXth Regt and died in 1895 in Bedford.
This painting is a depiction of a Mohurrum procession. Mohurrum marks the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hussain, the grandson of Prophet Mohammad who was killed in the battle of Karbala in 680 AD. Devout Shia Muslims all over the world observe a ten day period of mourning during Mohurram. On the tenth day, there is a grand in a grand procession where Tazias or floats are gorgeously decorated and are carried by the faithful in the procession which is often led by caparisoned elephants. This watercolour describes in detail the procession of the Tazias which can be seen in the background of the scene. The figures in the foreground of the paintings are titled underneath in pencil and read from left to right: Chuprassy, Musulman Woman, Sepoy of Police, Seidy Arab, Arab, Mounted European Police, Parsee, Musilm Borah, Taboot of Mourners, Men holding Tails, Tigers, Purdesoor Poorbhuyas, Clashe, Sowar of Police etc.. What is of particular interest in this painting is the depiction of people dressed as tigers which was specific to these processions in India.This painting was painted during the first Indian War of Independence of 1857. The Mohurrum festival was an inclusive festival which shows the intermingling of faiths, as indicated in this painting. The other two paintings in this lot are an individual study of the Sowar of Police on horseback dated Saturday 5υth September 1857 lower right and one of a European Mounted Police of a similar date. Both the Sowar and the mounted policeman are also included in the main painting.