A mural is any piece of artwork painted or applied directly on a wall, ceiling or other large permanent surface. This form of art was used from upper paleolithic time to modern time.
King like Tipu Sultan continued to encourage local traditions and had the walls of his palace at Seringapatam covered with mural paintings done by the local artists. One of these mural paintings celebrates the victory of Tipu and Haidar Ali in the Battle of Polilur (1780) in which they defeated the British troops.

By the mid-19th century, many photographers from Europe came to India and began travelling.
They took different types of pictures such as:
(i) Some took photographs of imperial officials, presenting them as figures of authority and power.
(ii) Others took pictures of ruined buildings and picturesque landscapes.
(iii) Others recorded moments of British military triumph.
(iv) There were also some who recorded the cultural diversity of India in ways that tried to show how India was a primitive country.

The rich and powerful people, both British and Indian, wanted to see themselves on canvas.
Indian tradition of portrait painting was in form of miniature (very small detailed painting) at that time.
A stream of European portrait painters came to India in the 18th century. They made portraits that were life-size images that looked lifelike and real.

By the late 19th century, mechanical printing presses were set-up in different parts of India which allowed prints to be produced in even larger numbers.
Popular pictures of Hindu deities printed in large numbers, so that even the poor could buy them. With the spread of nationalism, popular prints of Bharat Mata or nationalist heroes of the freedom movement became popular.
Ravi Varma set-up printing press where his religious paintings were mass produced. These prints carried nationalist messages and influenced large number of people and created nationalistic fervour.

History painting is one of the important categories of imperial art. This type of art reflected the attitudes of the colonial power.
British history paintings in India reflected the attitudes of imperial conquerors in these ways:
(i) British triumph served as rich material for history painters in Britain.
(ii) These painters drew on first hand sketches and accounts of travellers to depict a favourable image of British action in India.
(iii) These paintings were based on the power, victories, supremacy of the British.
(iv) The paintings, named 'Lord Clive meeting Mir Jafar, 'The Storming of Seringapatam' etc depicted British triumphs, not the agression and immoral path they took to win.
These paintings tried to establish the fact that the Britishers were more powerful than Indians.

The painting given above is painted by Rober Kerr Porter in 1800. In this painting, the painter has drawn the storming of Seringapatam, the capital of Tipu Sultan by the British troops. Tipu Sultan of Mysore was a powerful king, but he was finally defeated by the British in 1799 at the famous Battle of Seringapatam. The battle scene was painted by the artist.
In this painting, the British troops are shown storming the fort from all sides, cutting Tipu Sultan's soldiers to pieces. Climbing the wall, the British army raised the British flag aloft on the ramparts of Tipu Sultan's fort. This picture depicts action and energy, and glorifies the British triumph. It suggested that the British were more powerful than Indians.

Miniature paintings are small-sized paintings, generally done by water colour on cloth or paper. The most notable traditions of miniature painting in India are the Mughal, Rajasthani, Pahari and Deccani courts. In these paintings, there are very few human characters seen with front face. Most of the human characters are seen with side profile. Big eyes, pointed nose and slim waist are the features of these paintings. Human characters have worn traditional Indian dresses and jewellery.

Many of the Indian nawabs who lost their power and status to the British began commissioning imposing oil portraits by the European painters. Their power was undermined by the British officials.
Some nawabs reacted against this interference, others accepted the political and cultural superiority of the British.
Some nawabs hoped to socialise with the British and adopted their styles and tastes. Some nawabs like Muhammad Ali Khan of Arcot even gifted portraits to the King of England and the Directors of the East India Company.