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Lot 42: Robert Home

Est: £40,000 GBP - £60,000 GBP
Sotheby'sLondon, United KingdomMarch 21, 2001

Item Overview

Description

Robert Home
1752-1834
portrait of colonel william sydenham (1753-1801) with his wife amelia
both full length, he standing wearing uniform, she seated wearing a white dress, units of the Madras Artillery beyond with St Thomas's Mount in the distance
oil on canvas
72 by 77.5 cm., 28 1/4 by 30 1/2 in.
This fine conversation piece, painted in Madras in c.1794, shows Colonel William Sydenham who served in the Madras Artillery from 1768 until 1796 when he retired as major-general. He was the son of Samuel Sydenham of Minehead. He married Amelia Prime whose uncle Major Matthew Horne also served with the Artillery in India. They had two sons, Benjamin and Thomas and a daughter Mary Anne who married Major Orr. Benjamin became Secretary to Marquess Wellesley when he was Governor General of India. He served in the Madras Engineers from 1794 to 1808 and was a gifted amateur artist. His brother George became Ambassador to the Court of the Nizam of Hyderabad. Portraits of both boys by John Russell were sold at Sotheby's on 22nd March 2000 (lots 92 and 93).
Robert Home came to India in 1791, arriving at Madras in January and staying there until May 1795 when he left for Calcutta. Soon after his arrival Home received permission to accompany Lord Cornwallis's army on its march to Bangalore and he was present at the capture of the town and at Tipu Sultan's surrender of his two sons as hostages at Seringapatam. Home painted a large picture of this celebrated event (National Army Museum, London) and also a portrait of Lord Cornwallis (formerly in the Banqueting Hall, Madras). He also worked with Thomas and William Daniell who visited Madras in March 1792 and painted several large landscapes. However his chief interest was in portraiture and before moving to Calcutta he painted several local residents including Colonel Sydenham.
Provenance:
By family descent to the present owner
Literature:
Mildred Archer, India and British Portraiture 1770-1825, 1979, pp.306-307, plate 212

Artist or Maker

Auction Details

The British Sale

by
Sotheby's
March 21, 2001, 12:00 AM EST

34-35 New Bond Street, London, LDN, W1A 2AA, UK