Lot 159: JOHN SMART

NORWICH 1742 - 1811 LONDON PORTRAIT OF MUHAMMAD 'ALI KHAN, NAWAB OF ARCOT AND PRINCE OF THE CARNATIC (1718-1795) Watercolour, heightened with bodycolour, on ivory, set into a gold ring; signed with initials lower left: JS 1789 26 by 19 mm

Scion of the Farukhi (Anwariyya) dynasty, Muhammad ‘Ali Anwar ud-din Khan Bahadur was born in Delhi in 1723, third son of Jan-i-Jahan, Subadar of the Carnatic. Taking advantage of the diminished power of the Mughal Emperors, Muhammad ‘Ali wrested control of the southern province of Arcot and endeavoured to exploit, for his own gain, the vying interests of neighbouring Mysore and Hyderabad, and the British and the French. Ultimately, however, he fell into debt to British money-lenders and as a consequence effectively became a pensioner of the East India Company. In 1777, in a bid to secure favour with the British crown, he sent five magnificent brilliants – the Arcot diamonds – to Queen Charlotte. Although most gratefully received, they apparently did little to further his cause. Smart arrived in Madras in September 1785 and shortly after was appointed court miniaturist to the Nawab of Arcot. Although he is generally considered to have been working at the height of his artistic powers on the sub-continent, like other artists before him, he found it impossible to be paid in full by his Indian sitters. In May 1804 the Nawab’s debt to him was registered at £2,504 6s 7d.