James Hunter (military artist)

In 1791, a detachment of volunteers was raised from the Royal Artillery battalions for serving in British India. Two companies were created with a major, adjutant and quarter-master, along with the men. The commanding officer was Major David Scott. Lt. James Hunter, along with Captain T Ross and Lieutenants R Clarke, C Gold and W Nicolay were the sub-ordinate officers. Leaving Woolwich in early 1791, they arrived at Madras in October 1791.

These two companies served under Lord Cornwallis in the Tippu Sultan campaigns, leading to the defeat and siege of Tippu's army at Seringapatam in 1792. Major Scott, was killed on 9 February 1792, during the campaign. After a peace treaty was signed with Tippu Sultan, Lt. James Hunter, with the assistance of Lt C Gold made sketches of life in India and objects and buildings who attracted their attention. These sketches was published by C Gold with the title Oriental Drawings and attracted much attention in England as they were considered as valuable addition to British understanding of Indian culture. Lt. Hunter died on May 18, 1791 (p. 78).[4]

James Hunter is buried at the Old Cemetery at Vellore, near Commissary Bazar, North Arcot District. The memorial monument raised by his brother Arthur Hunter, records his birth day as 15 November 1755 and death day as 19 May 1792. As recorded in 1946, a giant banyan tree had fallen on the memorial (pg.4).[5]

Bangalore was first recorded in paintings in the 17th Century by European artists, who traveled the South India extensively. One such artist was James Hunter, who sketched extensively on the views of Mysore and the wars with Tippu Sultan. After his death in 1792, Joseph C Stadler, J B Harraden and H Merke took up the work of 'aquatint etching' of the paintings on copper plates. Forty of Hunter's paintings were published in London in 1804, by Edward Orme, under the title Picturesque scenery in the Kingdom of Mysore. In comparison to the work of Robert Home, Lt. R H Colebroke Capt. Allan, Hunter's work are associated often with Tipu Sultan and his father Hyder Ali and depicts the military and civil life of Bangalore in the late 18th century.[6]