A Wartime Commission 

At the beginning of the First World War, Nicholson travelled to India after receiving a commission to paint the outgoing Viceroy, Viscount Hardinge of Penshurst, who held office from 1910 to 1916. The commission was secured through Nicholson’s close friend, the architect Sir Edwin Lutyens, then deeply involved in planning the new imperial capital at Delhi. 

The portrait of the Viceroy himself was ultimately unsuccessful, largely because Hardinge was unable to devote sufficient time to sittings. Nicholson, however, found more success among the Viceroy’s entourage. The most accomplished work from this period is this striking portrait of Hardinge’s personal secretary, Duffadar Valayat Shah. 

Who Was Duffadar Valayat Shah? 

For many years, it was believed that the sitter in The Viceroy’s Orderly was Sikh. However, further investigation of the painting’s history file, alongside new information shared by the National Army Museum in 2016, has transformed our understanding. 

Valayat Shah was a Muslim cavalry sergeant – ‘Duffadar’ indicating rank rather than name – and most likely a Pashtun Muslim from the North-West Frontier Province, an area now known as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in present-day Pakistan. Several details confirm this identification: the absence of a beard excludes Sikh identity; his second name, Shah, and the conical kulla worn beneath his turban are characteristic of Muslim soldiers in the British Indian Army. The tail of fabric trailing behind the turban further suggests a cavalry role, while his white clothing aligns with garments commonly worn by orderlies. 

This revised reading restores cultural and historical specificity to a figure who had previously been generalised, allowing the portrait to be understood not only as an aesthetic achievement, but also as a vivid record of the interactions between Britain and India during the colonial period. 

The Chukar Partridge: A Telling Detail 

One of the most intriguing elements of Nicholson’s composition is the bird at Valayat Shah’s feet. Identified by Dr Sheila Wright, Curator of Biology at Wollaton Hall, as a juvenile Chukar Partridge, the bird adds a further layer of meaning to the work. 

Native to northern India, the Himalayas and parts of the Middle East, the Chukar is now the national bird of present-day Pakistan and is widely kept as a pet in the region. The bird depicted is clearly juvenile, distinguished by its pale cheek, dark eye stripe and vertical flank markings, features that differ markedly from those of adult birds. 

Juvenile Chukars are known to be particularly tame, often following their owners closely. It is therefore likely that this bird was a pet, perhaps belonging to Valayat Shah or to a member of the Viceroy’s household. While Chukars also carry symbolic associations – including unrequited love – in Indian mythology, the naturalistic style and youth of Nicholson’s depiction suggest observation rather than allegory. 

Nicholson’s Eye for Presence 

Painted in oil on canvas, The Viceroy’s Orderly, Duffadar Valayat Shah demonstrates Nicholson’s ability to convey presence and individuality without grand gesture. The sitter stands quietly, self-possessed, his status revealed through the way he carries himself rather than through formal insignia. Nicholson’s attention to texture – cloth, skin, feather – anchors the work in lived experience, while the inclusion of the Chukar subtly situates the portrait within its local environment. 

Purchased in 1953 from the London art dealers Roland, Browse and Delbanco, the painting remains a powerful example of Nicholson’s portraiture at a moment of global conflict and imperial complexity. 

Looking Again 

As new research continues to shape our understanding of historic collections, The Viceroy’s Orderly reminds us of the importance of looking closely, and looking again. Through careful research and attention to detail, the painting now speaks more clearly of the man it depicts, the place in which it was made, and the layered histories it contains. 

This remarkable work is currently on display in our William Nicholson exhibition. 

This article was written with the support of research provided by Louise Dunning, Curator of Fine and Decorative Art at Nottingham City Museums.