Prince Azim-ud-Daula, Nawab of the Carnatic (1775 - 1819)
Thomas Hickey (Dublin 1741 – Madras 1824)
Category
Art / Oil paintings
Date
1795 - 1819
Materials
Oil on canvas
Measurements
750 x 620 mm
Place of origin
India
Order this imageCollection
Powis Castle and Garden, Powys
NT 1180967
Caption
The identity of the man in this portrait is uncertain. Traditionally, it has been referred to as Prince Azim-ud-Daula, Nawab of the Carnatic (1775-1819), though the facial appearance is markedly different from another portrait more confidently identified as that sitter (NT 1180953). Another candidate is Umdat-ul-Umara (1748-1801), the previous Nawab of the Carnatic region, who held that position from 1795 to 1801. There is a strong resemblance with a portrait of Umdat by the British artist Tilly Kettle, sold at Christie’s in 2000. Umdat ul-Umara was an ally of the British East India Company and had close connections with Clive of India. However, this relationship turned sour in 1799 when he was accused of betraying the British by collaborating with Tipu Sultan. He died in mysterious circumstances only two years later, in what was rumoured by some to have been a deliberate poisoning.
Summary
Oil painting on canvas, Prince Azim-ud-Daula, Nawab of the Carnatic (1775 - 1819), attributed to Thomas Hickey (Dublin 1741 – Madras 1824). A head-and-shoulders portrait of a man wearing a beaded turban and costume embroidered with flowers in green and gold, within a painted oval. The sitter is traditionally identified as Prince Azim-ud-Daula, Nawab of the Carnatic, who is also portrayed full-length with his son in another portrait at Powis by Thomas Hickey (NT 1180953). He may, however, be Umdat ul-Umara (1748-1801), his predecessor as Nawab of the Carnatic.
Provenance
Purchased from John George Herbert, 8th Earl of Powis (b. 1952), 1999
Credit line
Powis Castle, The Powis Collection (National Trust)
Makers and roles
Thomas Hickey (Dublin 1741 – Madras 1824), artist