Entrance Gate to Lalbagh Srirangapatna

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Details

Size: 14 x 16 inches (with mount)
Medium: Aquatint Plate
Condition: Good condition; light spotting on top centre and right

Description

An aquatint plate from the folio “Oriental Drawings: Sketched between the Years 1791 and 1798,” after Captain Charles Gold, by John Hassell, Thomas Medland and others. This aquatint is untitled but is dated with “Published by G. & W. Nicol Pall Mall , Oct 1st 1801”. C. Cole’s signature also appears to the left of the image. The image depicts the entrance to the Lalbagh (which means “beloved garden”) in Srirangapatna, that was created by Hyder Ali, Tipu’s father. This was destroyed by the British and so this makes the print a rare historical image. In common with many other works of travel and topography of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, the image was etched almost entirely in aquatint, which produces a soft tonal quality.
Captain Charles Gold (d 1842) became a gentlemen cadet in the Royal Artillery in 1776 and a Colonel in 1825. "Oriental Drawings" is a series of images produced from sketches made by the Captain during his time in India between 1791 and 1798, while he was serving in military campaigns against Tipu Sultan, the ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore. Costumes, scenery, architecture and manners of India (and Indians) were captured in these drawings. Archer in his "The Connoisseur" reported that Gold allowed "none to pass his quarter, without an invitation to walk in, which they always accepted and most readily permitted him to draw their portraits… [Subscribers] may be assured that the dresses are minutely attended to, and characters strictly preserved…".
George Nicol (1740 - 1828) was a bookseller and publisher in 18th-century London. In 1781, he became bookseller to George III, a position he held until 1820.

The engraving measures 10 x 12.25 inches without the mount and 14 x 16 inches with the mount.

  • ABOUT Engravings & Etchings

    During the 18th and 19th centuries, several British and European men travelled within India and produced paintings, drawings, sketches and prints documenting the architecture, landscape, flora and fauna. Amongst these travellers were historians, artists, aristocrats and army officers. Upon their return to their home countries, some of them had their books published, which serve as an excellent record of India’s history, till date. The books had prints of the artworks created by these travellers, made using different printmaking techniques such as engraving, etching, aquatint, lithography and others.

    For instance, Thomas Daniell (1749 - 1840) and his nephew William Daniell (1769 - 1837) travelled extensively in India between 1786 and 1793. Thomas Daniell was the son of an innkeeper, who began his working life as a bricklayer before becoming an assistant to the coach painter of the king. On their return to Britain, Thomas and William produced many paintings, drawings and prints based on the sketches they had made while travelling. The 144 aquatint prints, collectively known as 'Oriental Scenery', represent the single largest and most impressive project by English artists to depict Indian architecture and landscape. Another famous traveller was Prince Waldemar of Prussia, Germany, who landed in Calcutta in January 1845, while on an expedition to explore distant lands. He was accompanied by a team of military men already familiar with India, a botanist and a medical doctor. Besides being a trained military man, Waldemar was also an enthusiastic artist and created many watercolour paintings and sketches depicting his travels across India. These watercolours were turned into lithographs in Berlin on his return. ‘In Memory of the Journey of Prince Waldemar of Prussia to India in the Years 1844-1846’ was printed posthumously in two volumes in 1853, and features many of his artworks. Other travellers to India whose work prints were later published include French naturalist Pierre Sonnerat, British Army Officer Captain Charles Gold, English watercolour painter Chares Bentley, amongst others.

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