The Departure of the Sons of Tippoo from the Zenana

Brown depicted a scene which had never even been described, though it might have been supposed to have happened, and would certainly appeal to the sentiment of the British public, namely The Departure of the Sons of Tippoo from the Zenana. Such a focus on the women of the story was an exception rather than the norm, and this view is very unrealistic, not least because the women of the court would never be exposed to the gaze of mahouts. But the artist was keen to play up the emotional aspects; specifically here, maternal affection and alarm.