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