Colesworthy Grant

The work has generally survived in good condition. There has been some fading to the more delicate pigments and there are occasional minor areas of surface dirt and occasional foxmarks.
"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."

Colesworthy Grant went to India in 1832 and based himself in Calcutta for the rest of his life. In 1846 he travelled to Rangoon and in 1855 he was appointed official artist to the embassy to the King of Ava. The King later presented him with a gold cup and a ruby ring in recognition of his skill. In 1849 he became Drawing Master to the Engineering College at Howrah and eventually Professor of Drawing in the Civil Engineering of the Presidency College at Sibpur. Today, the largest collection of his work is held at the India Office Library in the British Library in London.

The sitter was a jemadar (a native subaltern officer). He is shown wearing a long coat known as an alkaluk, the Sutlej Campaign Medal, for the 1^st Sikh War of 1845-46, and one of the two stars given for the Gwalior Campaign in 1843.

Dalhousie was a progressive in his attitudes towards native officers. In his personal letters to Sir George Couper he recounts, 'My Lady gave them a ball in the evening, and to this I caused the native officers to be invited. Some of the old school and some of the younger gentleman did not like this, I believe. I mean to make it the rule; native civilians are invited always, why not native officers? The object of Government should be to treat these mean really as officers, when from their own merits they have been made so. Very fine soldiers they were, many of them with the Order of India, and covered with medals' (Ed. J. G. A. Baird, Private letters of the Marquess of Dalhousie, Edinburgh, 1910, p. 22-23).

We would like to thank Stephen Wood for his help in cataloguing this work.