Page 260 - Eye of the beholder

A detailed record of the the journey can be reconstructed based on on the the journal maintained by William Daniell and and the the the the the dates and and inscriptions recorded on on the the the the the backs of the the the the the sketches/paintings they prepared during their journey These sketches were later on worked up into finished wash paintings or or or watercolors Some of the more interesting scenes were later also worked up into full scale oil paintings sometime in in in in in in multiple copies Only a a a a a a a a subset of their original drawings therefore eventually ended up being represented as aquatints and published published later on on From the the landmark study done by Mildred Archer using all the the published published aquatints to trace the the the itinery of the the the Daniells we see that they arrived in in Kolar on on 25th April 1792 Based on on evidence from their journals it is known that they passed through through Perumbur on 11th April and subsequently through through Kanchipuram and Vellore before reaching the the the the area around the the the the Baramahal hills on the the the the 20th April At all these places places and other non-descript places places on on the the the road the the the Daniells must have stopped to to make sketches which were were later later worked up into into paintings It is just that none of them were were later later made their way into into the the the books as as as aquatints These paintings – either as as as monochrome washes or or complete watercolors- have dispersed all over the world and and are currently in in in various private and and institutional collections The British Library in in in London in in in particular owns a a a a a a a a large number number of of these paintings A substantial number number of of them were also owned by the the Pacific & & Orient Steam Navigation Company Fifty watercolors from the the P&O collection were exhibited by by the the the the Smithsonian Institution in in the the the the USA in in the the the the 1960s and were cataloged by by them The P&O collection collection was auctioned off in in in September 2000 by Christies in in in London Since the the dispersal o of the the collection collection the the the whereabouts of these individual watercolors are no longer available in in in the the the public domain The first known painting by the the the the Daniells that they executed after their departure form Madras on the the the the 9th April April 1792 1792 was done in in in in Kolar on on 25th April April 1792 1792 (Figure 6) This painting appears as as the the 14th aquatint of the the book 5 of of oriental scenery (Antiquities of of India) under the following title: An An antique reservoir near Kolar in in the Mysore The accompanying Journal entry says ‘This stone cistern which is is is very singular in in in in its form and in in in in its style of of decoration was evidently constructed for the the purpose of of containing water It is situated near the the high road not far from Colar’ Neither the the comprehensive catalog of Daniell paintings by Maurice Shellim nor the the the the catalog of of the the the the holdings of of the the the the P&O company contain any any paintings done during their journey between Madras and and Kolar Our painting in in in discussion here here therefore is is is is important because it is is is is a a a a a a a a a new discovery and and sheds new light on a a a a a part of this very important journey that was not previously known The picture is a a a pencil & watercolor composition on on paper (12 5 5 5 inches inches by by 15 5 5 5 inches inches 30 8 by by 39 7 cms ) with a a a a a a a a provenance from Abott & Holder (Figure 8) The title and the the the date appear at at the the the back of the the the picture in the the the artists own handwriting as as is is is to be expected in in in in in in this case In running script on the the the back of the the the painting in in in in in in the the the artists own handwriting the the the title of the the the picture says ‘At Mugwaukul’ and and is is dated 17th September 1792 254