HOME, Robert. Kingston upon Hull 1752 — Kanpur (or Calcutta?) 1834. British Painter in India. Son of Robert Boyne Home, an army surgeon. Trained as painter at Royal Academy of Arts and in Rome (1773-77 there). In 1783-89 worked in London. “From 1770 exhibited portraits at Royal Academy and at Dublin, went to Madras in 1790, with Lord Cornwallis’ Army before Seringapatam, 1791-2. Went to Calcutta, 1792; at Lucknow was chief painter to the King of Oudh for some years and made a large fortune. He returned to Calcutta in 1797” and apparently lived there the rest of his life. In 1802 he was secretary to the A.S.B., for which he also worked as painter. In 1814 moved to Lucknow as court painter of Nawab Ghazi-ud-Din Haider, in 1827 moved to Kanpur.

Home made a great number of Indian pictures, among his portraits are Marquis Wellesley, Colonel A. Wellesley, Bishop Heber and W. Carey. Also two scenes of Mahabalipuram and 215 watercolours of Indian mammals, birds and reptiles (some also as oils).

Publications: Select Views in Mysore, the Country of Tippoo Sultan. 7+48 p. 33 pl. L. & Madras 1794.

– A Description of Seringapatam, the Capital of Tippoo Sultan. 4 p. 6 pl. L. 1796.

Sources: Buckland, Dictionary (wrong year of birth, 1764, died in Calcutta); L.H.C[ust], D.N.B. 27, 1891, 238; Wikipedia with portrait (died in Kanpur).