Page 238 - Eye of the beholder

232
THOMAS DANIELL [1749–1840] AND WILLIAM DANIELL [1769–1837]
The name of Daniells’ is a ubiquity within the colonial discourse, resonating to their vast corpus of works in oils, water colours and the aquatints which they produced in London of their extensive renderings of Indian landscapes and the historical monuments. The trans-Indian journey undertaken by the uncle-nephew duo had led them to travel extensively in India between 1786and 1793. This journey was certainly considered one of the most important and an epic of its kind ever undertaken. Back in Britain from their return they produced many paintings, drawings and prints based on the sketches they had made while travelling. The 144 aquatint prints, collectively known as 'Oriental Scenery', represent the single largest and most impressive project by English artists to depict Indian architecture and landscape. the work was published in six volumes and had sic uncoloured title pages. It was an artistic and commercial success. Daniells’ who followed Hodges took pride in the accuracy of the topography, landscapes and the people they painted. They reached Calcutta in 1786 and for seven years explored the country as no foreigner had ever done. The elder Daniell Thomas was sensible, down to earth, capable and likeable individual, he decided to visit India and record the Indian country side to capitalize on the British interests in India, which was at its peak, and simultaneously to break away from the stiff competition of London art circle. On the other hand William was young, raw and inexperienced but by the end of his seven years sojourn in India, he became a master of oil painting and aquatint.
Their travels took them across the length and breadth of undivided India, starting in Calcutta in the east following the Ganges to the north-west, and then towards Madras, in the south. Thomas Daniell was aware, as he and his nephew toured India, selecting and sketching views, that their compatriots were busily engaged in conquering it. Obviously, the British conquest of India gave Daniell both the motive and the opportunity to come here. But Daniell was inclined to think that art was immune from the messy matters of politics and commerce, and that it existed on a higher intellectual plane. Writing in 1810, he expressed this idea rather eloquently: “It was an honourable feature in the late 18th century that the passion for discovery, originally kindled by the thirst for gold, was exalted to higher and nobler aims than commercial speculations. Since this new era of civilization, a liberal spirit of curiosity has prompted undertakings to which avarice lent no incentive, and fortune annexed no reward: associations have been formed, not for piracy, but humanity: science has had her adventurers, and philanthropy her achievements: the shores of Asia have been invaded by a race of students with no rapacity but for lettered relics ... It remains for the artist to claim his part in these guiltless spoliations, and to transport to Europe the picturesque beauties of those favoured regions.”