Calcutta, 1 May 1809

1 May 1809

Hand-coloured aquatint on paper

Sheet Size: 18 x 23.5 in (45.5 x 59.5 cm)
With Mount: 24.25 x 29.5 in (61.5 x 75 cm)

This aquatint is taken from plate 3 of Henry Salt's Twenty-Four Views in St. Helena, the Cape, India, Ceylon, the Red Sea, Abyssinia and Egypt. Calcutta, being the capital of the British in India, garnered more views than any other city. It had an impressive array of European buildings along Esplanade Row and Chowringhee Road.

This view was taken from Thomas Graham's house in Chowringhee with part of Fort William in the background. Viscount Valentia George Annesley wrote of the Esplanade: "In an evening it is covered with the carriages of the richer inhabitants, who drive rapidly along, and with their numerous torch-bearers, form a singular and pleasing scene. The houses are built of brick, covered by a brilliant stucco, there called chunam, which takes a polish nearly equal to scaglioni marble."

Henry Salt (1780 – 1827)
On 14 June 1780, Henry Salt, a multifaceted individual encompassing the roles of artist, adventurer, diplomat, and antiquities collector, was born in Lichfield, Staffordshire, England. After receiving instruction from landscape painter Joseph Farington and portraitist John Hoppner, as well as studying watercolour under John Glover, he embarked on a significant eastern journey on 3 June 1802, serving as a secretary and draughtsman to British peer and politician George Annesley, Viscount Valentia (later known as Lord Mount Norris). He journeyed to the Cape, India, Sri Lanka, and the Red Sea. In Calcutta, the party was entertained by the Governor-General, Marquis Wellesley, and then travelled to Benares, Lucknow, Ceylon, and Madras. Salt then explored the Red Sea, returned to Bombay and Poona, and then again to the Red Sea, before embarking on an extensive expedition into the Abyssinian highlands in 1805, ultimately returning to England on 26 October 1806.

Throughout this journey, he created numerous drawings that found their place in Lord Valentia's Voyages and Travels to India, published in 1809. Subsequently, Salt's original drawings were accompanied by hand-coloured aquatints created by D Havell and J Bluck in a publication titled Twenty-Four Views in St. Helena, the Cape, India, Ceylon, the Red Sea, Abyssinia and Egypt, showcasing his artistic prowess and meticulous craftsmanship.

Lord Valentia retained the original sketches, and following Salt's demise, he also maintained ownership of the copper plates. The plates demonstrate an impressive level of ingenuity from both Salt and his engravers, with their format and presentation style echoing the esteemed work of Thomas and William Daniell in Oriental Scenery (1795-1808).

This lot will be shipped unframed.

NON-EXPORTABLE

This lot will be shipped in "as is" condition. For further details, please refer to the images of individual lots as reference for the condition.