The Collection

Robert Home

Robert Home, painter of history, portraits and landscapes, was born in Hull. In 1790, he sailed for Madras, arriving by January 1791. There he painted views of India and portraits of British residents. He accompanied British troops during the 1792 campaign against Tipu Sultan and made coloured aquatints for ‘Select Views in Mysore’ in 1794 and a ‘Description of Seringapatam’ in 1796. In 1795, he moved to Calcutta, where he painted portraits and decorated the new Government House. In 1814, he went to Lucknow, becoming official Historical and Portrait Painter to the Nawabs of Oudh. In addition to painting he supervised the making and decorating of furniture, carriages, boats and howdahs. Home retired to Cawnpore in 1828, where he later died.

Charles Turner

Charles Turner was born in Woodstock, Oxfordshire; the son of an excise officer. At a young age he moved to London, where he was apprenticed to engraver John Jones and studied at the Royal Academy schools. He later produced work in mezzotint, aquatint and stipple for publishers in London and Scotland. He also began publishing his own prints in 1796. In 1812 he was appointed Engraver-in-Ordinary to George III. He was elected an associate of the Royal Academy in 1828. Throughout his career he is thought to have produced 638 portrait engravings and over 300 subject engravings. These were generally made after works by contemporary artists, such as Raeburn, Lawrence and J. M. W. Turner, with whom the engraver enjoyed a long standing friendship.