Page 272 - Eye of the beholder

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MATHER BROWN [1761-1831]: LORD CORNWALLIS RECEIVING THE SONS OF TIPU AS HOSTAGES 1793
In his lifetime, Tipu Sultan, son of Haider Ali had become quite a legend in England. He was the only native Indian Ruler to have successfully resisted the advances of the British East India Company thrice in the Anglo-Mysore wars. As a result, Tipu had developed an aura of sorts in the popular mindset in England.
Followed by Tipu Sultan's defeat in the 3rd Anglo-Mysore war, he had to sign a treaty of peace by ceding a large part of his dominions and a substantial financial settlement to the British. The Governor-General Lord Cornwallis also demanded two of Tipu's sons as hostages to ensure that the Treaty was fulfilled. Thus the young princes Abdul Khaliq, Tipu's second son aged ten, and Muiz-ud-din, his third son aged eight were surrendered to Lord Cornwallis as hostages. On the fulfillment of the conditions in March 1794, the princes were restored to their father Tipu. Major Dirom’s ‘A narrative of the campaign in India in 1792’ provided a vivid description of this scene. “Lord Cornwallis attended by his staff, and some of the principle officers of the army met the princes at the door of his large tent, as they dismounted from the elephant, and after embracing them, led them one in each hand, to the tent; the eldest Abdul Khaliq was about ten and the youngest Mooza-ud-Deen about eight years of age. When they were seated on each side of Lord Cornwallis, Gullam Ally, the head Vakhil, addresses his lordship as follows, “These children were this morning the sons of the Sultan my master, their situation is now changed, and they must look up to your lordship as their father”.
Mather Brown made four versions of this painting and today is in various collections. A descendant of the Mather family of Massachusetts, Brown was born in Boston in 1761. He was one of the American artists who made their way to Europe during and immediately after the American Revolution, to study painting. He went first to Paris, and arrived in London in 1781 with an introduction to Benjamin West from Benjamin Franklin. Planning to be a miniature painter, Brown entered the school of the Royal Academy. He worked also in West's studio, where his style was influenced by Gilbert Stuart's and where his ambitions changed to the pursuit of a career as a portrait and history painter. Unlike most of the Americans who studied with West, Brown chose to remain in England for the rest of his life, and West's influence throughout Brown's career was very strong.