Major-General Sir Thomas Munro (1761–1827), KCB, Governor of Madras, in General Officer’s Uniform

Shee's 1819 portrait of Major-General Sir Thomas Munro, Governor of Madras, is a military portrait from the height of British imperial expansion in India. Munro was one of the more enlightened British administrators of the period, his 'ryotwari' land tenure system showing genuine understanding of Indian agricultural society. He is depicted in general officer's uniform at a moment when British India was consolidating its dominance following the Maratha Wars. Shee was knighted in the same year this portrait was painted, and military subjects formed a prestigious component of his practice during the Napoleonic and post-Napoleonic period.

The military portrait requires careful rendering of uniform and insignia appropriate to Munro's rank. Shee handles the epaulettes, buttons, and decorations with professional accuracy. The general's weathered face is rendered with more individuality than the costume — the face of a man who had spent decades in India rather than in European drawing rooms.