Ozias Humphry

seated on a blue couch, wearing a muslin jama, a black and white sash and a red turban, his hands on the hilt of his sabre, gilt-metal frame, glazed reverse

Pepper Staveley, of the Bengal Staff Service;
R.S. Aitchison, by 1918;
Anonymous sale in these Rooms, 19 December 1977, lot 104

Williamson 1918, illustrated facing p. 144;
Archer 1979, p.195, fig. 117

Ivory ground. This miniature is in good surface condition. The colours are not bright but this seems to have been the artist's intension. The miniature does not fit that tightly into the frame.
"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."

Asaf-ud-daula succeeded his father Shuja-ud-daula as Nawab Wazir of Oudh in 1775. He moved the court from Faizabad to Lucknow where he proceeded to build numerous monuments in and around the city.

A contemporary observed of him, 'He is mild in manners, generous to extravagance, affably polite and engaging in his conduct; but he has not great mental powers, though his heart is good'. His reputation for lavish expenditure, combined with a noted penchant for all things British, encouraged artists, including Johan Zoffany and Ozias Humphry, to visit Lucknow and seek their fortune. While both artists produced work that was rapturously received by the Nawab Wazir, neither artist received more than a small fraction in settlement of their accounts. This failure was no doubt the result of a combination of misgovernment and a complicated web of debt involving the overly influential begums of Oudh and the scheming forces of the East India Company.

This miniature is a worked up version of a sketch in the Turner collection.