Explained: Magnificent painting of Tipu’s battle charge, why is it worth crores?

A work commissioned by Tipu Sultan, the last ruler of Mysore, on the Battle of Pollilur which took place in September 1780 is expected to fetch between £5,00,000 and £8,00,000 at the Sotheby’s auction. What does this painting depict, and why is it significant?

4 min readNew DelhiMar 30, 2022 12:36 PM IST

A painting depicting the Battle of Pollilur. (Source: Sotheby's)

Known to be a patron of art, Tipu Sultan commissioned numerous significant paintings. Several of these have come into the limelight in recent years, fetching astronomical sums at auctions. Another work from his treasury will be auctioned at the Sotheby’s “Arts of the Islamic World & India” auction on Wednesday (March 30). Titled ‘The Battle of Pollilur’, the work described by historian William Dalrymple as “one of the great masterpieces of the period” is expected to fetch between £5,00,000 and £8,00,000.

Also in Explained | How to read Tipu Sultan’s place in history

What does the painting depict?

The nearly 32-foot long monumental painting represents the victory of the Mysore army led by Haidar Ali, the ruler of Mysore, and his son Tipu, against the British troops of the East India Company in the Battle of Pollilur, which took place in September 1780. The gouache on paper with black rules shows British soldiers struggling against the Mysore army.

In a note on the work on the Sotheby’s website, Darymple writes, “The painting extends over ten large sheets of paper, nearly thirty-two feet (978.5 cm) long, and focuses in on the moment when the Company’s ammunition tumbril explodes, breaking the British square, while Tipu’s cavalry advances from left and right, “like waves of an angry sea”, according to the contemporary Mughal historian Ghulam Husain Khan. The pink-cheeked and rather effeminate-looking Company troops wait fearfully for the impact of the Mysore charge, as the gallant and thickly mustachioed Mysore lancers close in for the kill.”

What is the significance of the painting?

The work was commissioned by Tipu Sultan, the last ruler of Mysore, as part of a large mural for the newly built Daria Daulat Bagh in Seringapatam in 1784.

Only three such paintings are known to exist. One of them, sold at a Sotheby’s auction in 2010 for £769,250, was reportedly heavily restored, unlike the work on auction now.

The work to come under the hammer now is part of a private collection in the UK, and has been displayed at numerous exhibitions, including a 1990 exhibition in London and a 1999 exhibition in Edinburgh.

Story continues below this ad

What other Tipu Sultan memorabilia have been auctioned in recent years?

In November 2021, one of the eight tiger heads that adorned the throne of Tipu Sultan came for auction at a price of £1.5 million. The UK Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has temporarily blocked its export, saying that the throne finial is closely connected with British history, and hopes that a buyer can be found in the UK.

Items from Tipu Sultan’s armoury were auctioned for around £107,000 in March 2019. It included a silver-mounted 20-bore flintlock gun and bayonet that went under the hammer for £60,000. In the same year, in June, Christie’s sold Tipu Sultan’s “Magic Box” for $495,000.

In 2015, a collection of Tipu’s arms and armour sold at Bonhams Islamic and Indian art sale for a total of more than £6million. The 30 items in the auction come from a single collection.

Newsletter | Click to get the day’s best explainers in your inbox

Vandana Kalra

Vandana Kalra is an art critic and Deputy Associate Editor with The Indian Express. She has spent more than two decades chronicling arts, culture and everyday life, with modern and contemporary art at the heart of her practice. With a sustained engagement in the arts and a deep understanding of India’s cultural ecosystem, she is regarded as a distinctive and authoritative voice in contemporary art journalism in India. Vandana Kalra's career has unfolded in step with the shifting contours of India’s cultural landscape, from the rise of the Indian art market to the growing prominence of global biennales and fairs. Closely tracking its ebbs and surges, she reports from studios, galleries, museums and exhibition spaces and has covered major Indian and international art fairs, museum exhibitions and biennales, including the Venice Biennale, Kochi-Muziris Biennale, Documenta, Islamic Arts Biennale. She has also been invited to cover landmark moments in modern Indian art, including SH Raza’s exhibition at the Centre Pompidou in Paris and the opening of the MF Husain Museum in Doha, reflecting her long engagement with the legacies of India’s modern masters. Alongside her writing, she applies a keen editorial sensibility, shaping and editing art and cultural coverage into informed, cohesive narratives. Through incisive features, interviews and critical reviews, she brings clarity to complex artistic conversations, foregrounding questions of process, patronage, craft, identity and cultural memory. The Global Art Circuit: She provides extensive coverage of major events like the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, Serendipity Arts Festival, and high-profile international auctions. Artist Spotlights: She writes in-depth features on modern masters (like M.F. Husain) and contemporary performance artists (like Marina Abramović). Art and Labor: A recurring theme in her writing is how art reflects the lives of the marginalized, including migrants, farmers, and labourers. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent portfolio is dominated by the coverage of the 2025 art season in India: 1. Kochi-Muziris Biennale & Serendipity Arts Festival "At Serendipity Arts Festival, a 'Shark Tank' of sorts for art and crafts startups" (Dec 20, 2025): On how a new incubator is helping artisans pitch products to investors. "Artist Birender Yadav's work gives voice to the migrant self" (Dec 17, 2025): A profile of an artist whose decade-long practice focuses on brick kiln workers. "At Kochi-Muziris Biennale, a farmer’s son from Patiala uses his art to draw attention to Delhi’s polluted air" (Dec 16, 2025). "Kochi Biennale showstopper Marina Abramović, a pioneer in performance art" (Dec 7, 2025): An interview with the world-renowned artist on the power of reinvention. 2. M.F. Husain & Modernism "Inside the new MF Husain Museum in Qatar" (Nov 29, 2025): A three-part series on the opening of Lawh Wa Qalam in Doha, exploring how a 2008 sketch became the architectural core of the museum. "Doha opens Lawh Wa Qalam: Celebrating the modernist's global legacy" (Nov 29, 2025). 3. Art Market & Records "Frida Kahlo sets record for the most expensive work by a female artist" (Nov 21, 2025): On Kahlo's canvas The Dream (The Bed) selling for $54.7 million. "All you need to know about Klimt’s canvas that is now the most expensive modern artwork" (Nov 19, 2025). "What’s special about a $12.1 million gold toilet?" (Nov 19, 2025): A quirky look at a flushable 18-karat gold artwork. 4. Art Education & History "Art as play: How process-driven activities are changing the way children learn art in India" (Nov 23, 2025). "A glimpse of Goa's layered history at Serendipity Arts Festival" (Dec 9, 2025): Exploring historical landmarks as venues for contemporary art. Signature Beats Vandana is known for her investigative approach to the art economy, having recently written about "Who funds the Kochi-Muziris Biennale?" (Dec 11, 2025), detailing the role of "Platinum Benefactors." She also explores the spiritual and geometric aspects of art, as seen in her retrospective on artist Akkitham Narayanan and the history of the Cholamandal Artists' Village (Nov 22, 2025). ... Read More

Loading Recommendations...

Jun 07: Latest News

Live Blog