Tom Raw presents letters of introduction, a miniature based on Charles D'Oyly's Tom Raw drawings, India, Company School, Patna, circa 1830

gouache heightened with gold on paper, laid down on stout paper with dark blue borders ruled in white, reverse with 12 lines of English text in a 19th-century hand

Sotheby, Wilkinson and Hodge, catalogue of a sale of magnificent engravings, 'the property of Lady Lucas', three day sale, 7-9 May 1918

In good overall condition, a few water stains and small paint loss to seated figure's right sleeve, some paper repair and associated repainting to corners and leaf edges, as viewed.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This charming Company School painting seems at first glance to be based on an illustration from a poem by Sir Charles D'Oyly (1781-1845) entitled Tom Raw The Griffin. The burlesque poem was in twelve cantos and tells the adventures of Tom Raw who was a cadet in the East India Company (a composite character drawn from a number of sources including D'Oyly's own cousins). The term 'Griffin' refers to someone who was green and new to India and its customs. The poem was illustrated by twenty-five aquatint engravings and was originally printed by R. Ackerman in 1828. However, it is possible that the painting derives more directly from the actual drawings of D'Oyly themselves, rather than being merely a Company School version of a printed illustration.

The fact that the interior furnishings, figures and general accoutrements are more enhanced and precise in the present painting than the D'Oyly illustration that it most closely resembles ('Tom Raw presents letters of introduction'), suggests that the artist may have had access to D'Oyly's original drawings, which themselves contain more detail than is contained in the prints. This hypothesis is supported by the fact that D'Oyly is known to have shared his drawings with native artists (including Jairam Das) whom he taught western-style painting. Equally, the fine execution of the painting combined with the relative scarcity of comparable works, suggests that it was not part of an en masse production. 

The gentleman artist, Sir Charles D'Oyly, was born in Calcutta in 1781, and was educated in England, returning to India at the age of sixteen to enrol in the service of the East India Company. D'Oyly was to spend the next forty years of his life with the Bengal Civil Service, based in Calcutta, Dhaka and Patna from 1798 to 1838. During this time he produced many paintings and published books depicting Indian scenery. D'Oyly was an affable character who was popular amongst the European intelligentsia of Calcutta and Patna. Indeed, many of the figures that appear in D'Oyly's writing and painting are based on actual people, and this is likely the case with the present painting. Records indicate that the artist George Chinnery often visited D'Oyly and he had a great influence on the development of D'Oyly's artistic style. D'Oyly in turn is likely to have visited Chinnery's studio in Calcutta. It has been suggested that the seated figure on the right in the current painting could possibly be a portrait of Chinnery himself. The addition of the huqqa pipe is also an interesting feature, as we know that both Sir Charles D'Oyly and his father Sir John Hadley D'Oyly were addicted to it.