Page 221 - Eye of the beholder

prepared the the monochrome wash drawings for their students to imitate with subjects as as foliage clouds masonry figures animals or ships Instructions along these lines had been received in in in their youth by many of the the the British who went to to India Skills in in in drawings were an an asset to to the the the military engineers and and gunners in in in in particular Their work frequently involved surveying and and the making of maps and diagrams Topographical drawings for for for showing the the the lie of of the the the land and and the the the position of of forts for for for military installations had become equally important Besides the soldiers and civilians in in India an an an an important category of amateur artists were women who joined them as their wives and sisters they had also received instructions in in in in drawing Faced with the the prospect of long residence in in in in India they saw the the the potential for sketching to keep them preoccupied These women were aware that they will have enough time on their hands and and life generally was slow moving Army officers were forced to spend long hours with no definite occupation and when on on on camps for survey work they were often lonely The women on on the the the other hand with minimal domestic responsibilities and the the climatic condition forced them to spend time indoors unless accompanying their husbands Emma Roberts in in her book “India Voyager” gave good advice when she stressed the value of drawing as an accomplishment She urged ‘outward bound’ ladies ‘to study under under a a a a a a good master and and to to understand the principles of art’ Before setting out for India the the women often improved their sketching and also undertook additional instructions in in in in water colour painting The result was that on reaching India many military and civil officers as as well well as as their women folk were were well well equipped Not only were were they competent with pencil pen pen and and brush but owing to the the demand for sketching in in in in general education they regarded drawing and painting as valuable accomplishment Incidentally the proficiency in in in in drawing and painting also served to create documents that would alternate as news- letters With travels posing many difficulties a a a a a a a a career in in India involved emotional strains as well Men and women setting out on on voyages were aware that their absence from home would be for for a a a a a a long spell or or or perhaps forever These sad separations were frequent for as as as East India Company’s power grew an an an increasing number of men and women from the educated classes went to India In In many families it it became a a a a a a a a a tradition for at at least one or two members to to go east east in the the Company’s service Many confirmed to to the the pattern whereby the the eldest son stayed in in England to inherit and and manage the the property one became a a a a a a a clergyman one one an an an an an an an Indian civilian and one one an an an an an an an officer in the Company’s army This practice was repeated generation generation after generation generation Since the the the members of the the the family travelled to India and their absence was for a a a a a a a long time or or permanently settled in in in India there was an an aching longing to supply relatives at at home with information One of of the the best ways of of satisfying the the needs was to to keep in in in touch through portraits or drawings drawings These These drawings drawings and paintings replaced the photographs of today These These pictures accompanied the the long letters and described not only verbally but also visually the the various sights and sounds experienced by members of the British family on work in India The relatives receiving the the pictures were delighted and and equally commented on the the skills and and dexterity of the the artist However intimate family news was not just the the requirement but demands were made for pictures which were were equivalent of of press photographs of of today were were also in great demand in in England For instance the Mysore Wars that were fought between 1767 and and and 1799 aroused great interest Stories reached England of the difficult terrain studded with hill forts where the the the troops were fighting The more more stirring and dangerous the the the event the the the more more avidly
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