Live Auction 5490Travel, Science and Natural History
Attributed to Arthur William Devis
Lot 129

Attributed to Arthur William Devis

Portrait of Warren Hastings (1732-1818), governor-general of Bengal, full-length, seated at a table, in a red coat and flower-patterned waistcoat, with a letter

Closed23 September 2010

Price Realised

GBP 1,875

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Attributed to Arthur William Devis
Portrait of Warren Hastings (1732-1818), governor-general of Bengal, full-length, seated at a table, in a red coat and flower-patterned waistcoat, with a letter
inscribed in nasta'liq (on the letter), translatable as 'Nawwab Amir al-Mamalik (Commander of Countries), Zubdat al-Mulk (Best of the Kingdom), 'Imad al-Dawlah (Pillar of the Empire) Governor General Mr Hishtin (Sic.) [Hastings ?] Bahadur, Jaladat Jang (Brave at war) bestowed this picture of himself as a keep sake and a sign of ultimate friendship to Bini Ram Pandit ... Pandit on the first of February the year 1785 (?)'
oil on canvas
69 3/8 x 39¾ in. (176.2 x 100.9 cm.)

Specialist note

Another version of this picture by Arthur William Devis can be found in Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi.

Warren Hastings was undoubtedly one of the most important figures in Anglo-Indian history of the 18th Century and can largely be credited with laying the foundations of British supremacy in India.