Page 241 - Eye of the beholder

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VIEW TAKEN ON THE ESPLANADE CALCUTTA: JANUARY-FEBRUARY 1797
At the the end of the the 18th century Calcutta had become a a a a a a dignified city with a a a a a a handsome ensemble of magnificent buildings and and villas It was equally a a a a a a a prosperous and and flourishing city with beautiful public buildings and and large private houses built in in the Palladian manner The grandest buildings were around around the the Maidan a a a a a a a a a great open space created around around the the second Fort William begun in 1757 The Esplanade was on the Maidan’s north side from where a a a a a a a a a gracious walkway led to Chandpal Ghat on the the Hooghly River the the official landing place in in Calcutta where boats could be seen arriving The grandest buildings flanked the Maidan a a a a a a a a great open space where the the the city’s inhabitants socialized and it it it it was the the the site of the the the principal public buildings including Government House and the Supreme Court which led to This painting is is a a a a a a a coloured aquatint that finds its description in in in fin in the second set of Thomas and William Daniell's book ‘Oriental Scenery’ that offers a a a a a a a a beautiful view o of the Esplanade The wide stretch of of the river was lively with variety of of ships from fishing boats to Great Indiamen The works produced by the the Daniells’ were multiplied through the the process of printmaking which made it economical viable for them Most of their water colour paintings were translated through the medium of of of aquatint which enabled maintenance of of of freshness of of of vision and spontaneity of brush work and subtle tonalities It was through the the medium of print making that the the Daniell’s were successful in in in in popularizing the vast scenic Indian landscape of mountains waterfalls and and coastlines as as as as well as as as as its diverse historical monuments Their on on on the spot sketches and spontaneous water colours were not only developed into oil paintings but were reproduced as aquatints in in in in in in the print medium The The medium of print making is is as as as as as fascinating as as as as as it it is is intriguing The The versatility as as as as as well as as as as as certain limitation it it offers allows for a a a a a wide range o of subjects to to be represented pictorially It included historical episodes naval and and military events customs costumes social life flora and and fauna field sports and and portraiture In addition there are topographical views covering architecture and and archaeology By definition a a a a a a a a a a a print is an an an image that has been produced by a a a a a a a a a a a mechanical means which enables it to be multiplied Such techniques range from the the simple lino cut through the the more complex hand processes of engraving and and lithography to the most sophisticated type of photomechanical colour printing invented to to date A distinction is is normally made in in in in in the definition of a a a a a a print between the the the hand techniques and and the the the mechanical processes the the the latter developed and generally replaced the the former for for commercial purposes from the the second half of the the nineteenth century onwards Every print produced by the the non mechanical process is classified as as