Page 263 - Eye of the beholder

On the the the 25th April the the the Daniells were very close to Kolar where they prepared at at least one sketch that was later worked up into into the the aquatint and incorporated into into Oriental Scenery However based on the the data obtained from the the the British library drawing it it Is clear that the the the previous day 24th April 1792 the the the Daniells were about 30 kms away from Kolar in Mulbagal
Mulbagal
Mulbagal
Mulbagal
must have been a a a a a a a a a a a a relatively small settlement on the wayside While passing by the the the the cliff and the the the the small building at the the the the bottom must have captured the the the the fancy of the the the Daniells Stopping by the the the wayside we can imagine Thomas Daniell Daniell ordering a a a a a a a a a halt to to to the the the journey to to to start sketching the the the abruptly rising cliff and and the the the quadrangular building at its base The travel party and and the the the retinue of 48 servants would be scrambling to erect temporary tents and and set the the drawing drawing table and and get the the drawing drawing materials in in in in order While he he would would be be painting there would would be be servants holding shades and umbrellas to guard him against the the the hot April sun scorching the the the southern plains In fact a a a a a a a a a watercolor drawn by William Daniell on 8th January 1790 shows a a a a a a a a scene exactly like this This painting which was originally in in in in the P&O collection shows Thomas Daniell viewing and sketching the the Bijaygarh Fortress from the the south west (see figure 5) While Thomas Daniell is is busy busy sketching members of his retinue are busy busy sheltering him from the sun and and erecting a a a a a a a a a a a temporary tent It is is easy to extrapolate this picture and and imagine that other servants are scrambling around to ensure everything else is in in in order The scene must have been pretty much the same while Thomas Daniell was sketching ‘At Mugwaukul’ on 24th April 1792 The terrain in in in in in in the the the region around Kolar is is full of of rock formations of of the the the kind shown in in in in in in the the the painting It is is interesting to to to note that the the the Daniells stopped to to to sketch these landscapes many times in in in their journey through this area in in the the the the the next consecutive days One of of these sketches drawn in in the the the the the Baramahal hills on on the the the the the 21st of of the the the the the 22nd April 1792 ended up as the the oil painting that sold at at Christies in in in in 2000 The other one drawn in in in in Mulbagal
on 24th April 1792 and currently currently in fin in in in the the British library ended up as the the finished painting currently currently in fin in in in my collection During their brief stay at Tanjore on on 17th September 1792 Thomas Daniell must have prepared this finished painting based on on the the preliminary sketch he he he he drew on on the the 24th April at Mulbagal
Interestingly the the the the dimensions of of the the the the preparatory sketch sketch are the the the the same as that of of the the the the finished painting A third sketch sketch drawn on the the the next day 25th April 1792 eventually made it it into the the the ‘Oriental Scenery’ as an aquatint With this the the the mystery of of the the painting was was finally solved and I was was happy to have been associated with the the discovery of of a a a a a a a a painting that sheds additional light on on the the Daniell’s epic journey through south Indian undertaken in in in the the summer of 1792 Apart from being a a a a a a a a a a new art art historical discovery this is is is is is also an example of a a a a a a a a a a rare situation where the history of of an an old painting can be reconstructed to the very day of of its creation This is is attributable in in in large measure to the the the detailed record keeping of the the the daniells and their scientific approach 257