Lot 130: H. Hulley, fl. 1780's

H. Hulley, fl. 1780's
View of Honavar (Onore) Fort after the Siege by Tipu Sultan's forces in 1783, with mounted Artillery and Infantry officers in the foreground, accompanied by seypoys
signed and dated 'H.Hulley/1788' (lower right)
oil on canvas
unframed
26 x 39in. (66 x 99cm.)

Property from the Collection of the late John Appleby
VAT rate of 5% is payable on hammer price and at 17.5% on the buyer's premium.
Honavar or Onore, was a notable seaport of British India, in the North Kanara district of Bombay. In 1783 it was defended for three months by Captain Torriano and a detachment of sepoys against the army of Tippu Sultan.

Tipu (or Tippoo) Sultan of Mysore was one of the last powerful sovereigns in southern India, whose kingdom posed a significant threat to British military power. Tipu's eventual defeat at Seringapatam in 1799 marked the start of British territorial expansion in southern India. The British public showed an intense interest in the legend that built up around Tipu Sultan. Artists such as Arthur William Devis, Henry Singleton and Thomas Stothard, dramatised events leading up to his defeat while several engravers published a series of historical prints.

The picture is similar to an engraving by W. Angus made from a drawing executed on the spot by an officer after the siege but without the figures. The engraving was published in Illustration to Oriental Memories, by James Forbes, 1835.