Shipping
Shipment charges are calculated based on the location of the artwork.
Description
The following lot presents a series of prints of villages in the mountainous regions of Northern India. All prints are aquatints that were enhanced by watercolor.
a) Village of Synge
b) Village of Kussain
c) Rooroo on the Pabur River
d) The Village of Jakee
These prints are in good condition. The prints have survived several decades and may show some signs of wear and tear. This does not in any way detract from their beauty or value
These items are sold unframed. They are available for viewing in Saffronart's London gallery.
About Poems in Print: People and Places of India
The fusion of romanticism and documentation is exhibited in this new collection of 18th – 19th century British prints of colonial India. Illustrated from an Oriental perspective, these prints served as valuable displays or notes of observations that were forming through the discovery of a vast and newly conquered India. While they were incredibly useful for purposes of documentation, they also evoked a romantic sense of adventure that is usually associated with Orientalism.
A diverse group of artists are represented in the collection, both amateur and established artists are included, while some came from military backgrounds, others were skilled print makers and engravers. Each provided a unique perspective on their discoveries of and fascination with the people and places of India. A few of the artists represented include William Daniell, John Luard, Charles Gold, and Thomas Bacon. Most prints were based on sketches that were made during their travels, and printed as artworks, while others were published in British Newspapers such as The Illustrated London News. Others were used for more academic purposes, such as those made for the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal. The publishing and distribution of all these prints had one unified result, which was to establish an image of India with the people of Britain, and Europe at large, thus whether they were intended to or not they became instrumental in creating perceptions and notions of what India was.
Thus the historical value of these works lie in their representation of an 18th and 19th century India, as well as the educative role they fulfilled in informing all those who were unable to see India for themselves. While their artistic value lies in the unique aura that each work revels in, each artist managed to convey a romanticism that is evoked through the exploration of the people and places of a new land and culture.