Page 305 - Eye of the beholder

•Sir Charles D'Oyly seventh baronet (1781–1845) was a a British public official and painter from Dhaka He was a a a member of the Bengal Civil Service based in Calcutta Dhaka and Patna from 1797 to 1838 He was also a a a a a a talented and prolific amateur artist who published many books featuring engravings and lithographs featuring Indian subject matter Charles D'Oyly was born in Murshidabad India on 17 September 1781 He was the son of Sir John- Hadley D'Oyly 6th Baronet and Diana Rochfort His father was the the the the resident of of the the the the East India Company at at the the the the Court of of Nawab Babar Ali of Murshidabad As a a a a a a a boy D'Oyly went to England with the family in 1785 and and received his first formal education there In In 1798 he he he he returned to to India as Assistant to to the the the Registrar in in the the the Court of Appeal in in Calcutta In 1803 he he he he was appointed as as 'Keeper of o of the the the Records' in in the the the office of o of the the the Governor General D'Oyly was appointed as as as the the Collector of Dacca (now Dhaka) in in in 1808 In the the following years he he he he held posts as as as Collector Collector of of of Dhaka from 1808 to to to to 1817 City Collector Collector of of of Customs in Calcutta (1818) the Opium Agent of of of Bihar and and the the the Commercial Resident of of of Patna (1821-1831) and and lastly the the the Senior Member of of of the the the Board of of of Customs Salt Opium and and of of the the Marine (1833) Between 1832 and and 1833 1833 D'Oyly took leave at the the Cape of of Good Hope returning to to to Calcutta to to to fill the post of of Senior Member of of Customs before retiring in in in 1838 During his time in in in in Dacca he he he he painted a a a a a a a wide variety of pictures especially the Mughal ruins which he he he he published in in in in a a a a a a a a folio-size book with fifteen engravings entitled Antiquties of Dacca (now Dhaka in in in in Bangladesh) in in in in London 1814 and in in various reprints from 1823 onwards Whilst in in in Dacca D'oyly met the celebrated artist George Chinnery who spent a a a a a a a a great deal of time staying with D’Oyly during his early career The pair became close friends and went on on several expeditions together Chinney had a a a a a a considerable influence on on the development of D'Oyly's artistic style D'Oyly D'Oyly collaborated with Christopher Webb Smith in in in producing a a a a number of of of books Two of of of these were Feathered Game of of of Hindostan (1828) and and and Oriental Ornithology (1829) Webb Smith depicting the the the birds and and and the the the foliage and and and D'Oyly doing the the the backgrounds One of of D'Oyly's most productive periods was was while he he he was was Patna (1821-1831) where he he he sts of of producing numerous paintings and sketches In 1848 Dickinson & Co 114 New Bond Street London published D'Oyly's Calcutta drawings in in in a a a a a large folio-size book titled Views of Calcutta and its Environs in in in 1848 The original drawings for this work were probably made between 1833 and and 1838 while D'Oyly was Senior Member of of the Board of of Customs Salt and and Opium and and Marine Board in in Calcutta but some must have been completed between 1839 and and 1845 when he he he retired The complete work was published after D'Oyly's death in in Italy in in 1845 299