India

Signed with initials l.l., watercolour over pencil with touches of bodycolour on grey paper17 x 26 cm.; 6 ¾ x 10 ¼ inchesExhibitedLeger Galleries, London, November 1973;Private collection U.K. until 2022The second son of Hercules Sharpe, the artist was educated at Harrow. After leaving Cambridge where he read Maths he decided to become an artist and studied in Rome for three years. On the death of his elder brother he inherited the Brabazon estates (and name) in Ireland. He spent his summers in England and his winters travelling in Europe and, from the 1860s, further afield. The artist visited India three times, in 1870, 1875 and 1876.In 1891 Sargent persuaded him to have an exhibition at the Goupil Gallery and, as a result, in his old age he was at the forefront of the modern movement.

Brigadier Twemlow’s Bengali Servant in an interiorSigned l.r. and l.l. with initials, inscribed verso in pen and brown ink: Brigr. Twemlow’s/Bengali Servant./W.C., grey and brown washes over pencil27.3 x 22 cm.; 10 ¾ x 8 5/8 inchesFramed size 34 x 29 cm.; 13 ½ x 11 ¼ inchesChapman was born in London. He studied at the East India Company’s Military Seminary at Addiscombe, where he won several exam prizes. After a year at Chatham he joined the Bombay Engineers. As Second Assistant in the Department of Roads and tanks he took charge of the works on the Agra road from the foot of the Thull Ghaut to Candore from 1846, receiving much praise for his work. He married Brigadier Twemlow’s second daughter Charlotte in Aurungabad in June 1848.After a leave of absence spent researching engineering projects in England in 1851, he joined the Institution of Civil Engineers as an Associate Member. On his return to India in October 1852, he was appointed to the survey of the construction of a canal between the Indus and Kurrachee. He concluded that a railway line would offer greater advantages. While investigating this he had a fatal accident on the river Indus in December 853. After his untimely death the road he had worked on was renamed Chapman Road, Thull Ghaut.Brigadier Twemlow (1796 - 1877) of the Royal (Bengal) Artillery was the commandant at Aurungabad (Nizam’s Contingent) who had a distinguished military career in India from 1812. He lived in a bungalow at Roza, ‘an old Mohammedan tomb surrounded by a walled garden’, (Francis Egerton, ‘Journal of a Winter’s tour in India’, 1852, vol. II, p. 225).He returned to England in 1853 and devoted himself to scientific and archaeological pursuits.Ayah and Child outside a bungalowSigned l.l. W.C., inscribed verso in pencil: Ayah & child./Egeltana (?)April 180/4 9, watercolour over pencil25.5 x 20.5 cm.; 9 7/8 x 8 1/8 inchesFramed size 33 x 28cm.; 13 x 11 inches (2)

KT582Extensively inscribed in the artist’s shorthand, pen and brown ink, stamped verso with collector’s mark14 x 20 cm.; 5 ½ x 8 inchesProvenanceSir Bruce Ingram, OBE, MC (1877-1963), L. 1405a.;Michael Appleby of St James’s, by descent until 2023The extensive shorthand reads: [upper left]‘Masula boat leaving with water carried to ships in the roads /’, [upper right]‘The sky… / … not out’, ‘The wet foam of the surfThe light part of the picture / ‘, [lower left]; ‘Sand’; [lower right] ‘This part not the surfBoat all wet / all the figures reflected in stronger /The colour is to(o) ex... the same as the sea’.There was no harbour at Madras at this time so the masula boats had to row a long distance out from the shore to the Indiamen anchored out in the ‘roads'. The figures are a combination of boatmen and women with waterpots on their heads, loading the boat with water for the ships. The flat-bottomed masula boats, made from planks of mango wood sewn together with coconut fibres, were used to row passengers to and from the ships as well as for supplies. During the western monsoon season at the end of the year the surf could be quite violent and if the flag on the flagstaff of Fort St. George was lowered, ships were unloaded of cargo or passengers at their own risk.Chinnery arrived in Madras in 1802 and was to stay for four and a half years. The lively draughtsmanship shown in the present drawing is typical of his style at this period.Sir Bruce Ingram was a journalist and editor of ‘The Illustrated London News’ from 1900. He was particularly interested in marine drawings and collected over three thousand, including over six hundred drawings by the Van de Velde. For further information about his collecting see Luke Herrmann and Michael Robinson, 'Burlington Magazine', May 1963, 'Sir Bruce Ingram as a collector of drawings'.

Watercolour over traces of pencil heightened with gum arabic and stopping out12.7 x 21.2 cm.; 5 x 8 2/8 inchesProvenanceMartyn Gregory Fine ArtThis colourful watercolour dates from 1833-4 and is based on a sketch made on the spot by Commander Robert Elliot, R.N. (1790-1849) in the early 1820s. Several professional watercolour artists copied his sketches, amongst them Thomas Shotter Boys, David Cox, William Purser, Samuel Prout and Clarkson Stanfield, and their watercolours were engraved and published in 1834-5 as Views in India, China, and on the Shores of the Red Sea. The present watercolour was not engraved, but other views made for this series by Cotman are in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London and the Harris Museum and Art Gallery, Preston.The Elephanta Caves, on Elephanta Island off Mumbai are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, famous for their rock-architecture and carvings. This watercolour is taken from inside the most famous cave.

KT591Watercolour over traces of pencil32 x 47 cm.; 12 5/8 x 18 ½ inchesProvenanceSpink, London, ‘A Journey through India- Pictures of India by British Artists’, 9 October-1 November 1996, no. 30;Sotheby’s, London, 8 June 2000, lot 69;Private collection, U.K. until 2023Justinian Gantz, described in the East India Gazette as 'Miniature Painter', was the son of the artist John Gantz. In addition to their work as draughtsmen for the East India Company, they may have practised as architects and ran a family lithographic press in Popham's Broadway, Chennai (M. Archer, British Drawings in the India Office Library, 1969, I, p.49, and J.R. Abbey, Travel in Aquatint and Lithography, 1957, II, no.445). Seven watercolours by Justinian Gantz of European houses in Chennai dating from 1832-1841 are in the collection of the British Library (M. Archer, op.cit., II, pp.604-606).The fortress of Gooty was an important British stronghold 269 miles from Chennai and 44 miles east of Bellary. It comprised a number of strong works, connected with each other on the summits of a cluster of hills and enclosing a space of level ground where the town was situated. Two fortified gateways gave access to the town to the south-west and north-west. A huge smooth rock to the north of the circle of hills ascended through 14 gateways and fortifications to form a citadel.This work was part of a group of views of southern India by Justinian and John Gantz included in the Spink exhibition in 1996.

Signed, inscribed and dated l.r.: Cave on the Island/of Elephanta/Dec 9th. 69 and further signed by another, watercolour over pencil.The artist visited the famous Hindu temple carved into the rockface on the island of Elephanta. Constructed between the fifth and sixth century, the temple is part of the ‘City of Caves’ devoted to the cult of Shiva.For further work by this artist please see the catalogue link and enquire about availability: https://media.karentaylorfineart.com/pdfs/Constance-Frederica-Gordon-Cumming-KTFA-2025.pdf

Signed, inscribed and dated l.r.: Hindoo Temple near Dehra/Himmalayas in the background-/Oct. 1869./C.F.G.C., watercolour over pencil with touches of white.Dehradun, the capital of Uttarakhand, is in the foothills of the Himalayas. On the banks of a river is a Hindu temple in front of which figures ride elephants through the shallow waters. On the riverbank, a woman performs the aarti, releasing a diya to float upon the waters as an offering.For further work by this artist please see the catalogue link and enquire about availability: https://media.karentaylorfineart.com/pdfs/Constance-Frederica-Gordon-Cumming-KTFA-2025.pdf

Inscribed and dated l.l.: From Egutpoora/en route to Bombay/from Nagpore/Dec 2nd/69, watercolour over pencil.The artist stopped in Nagpore ‘the city of the Naga’, or serpent, on the railway to Bombay, In the Himalayas, p. 569.For further work by this artist please see the catalogue link and enquire about availability: https://media.karentaylorfineart.com/pdfs/Constance-Frederica-Gordon-Cumming-KTFA-2025.pdf

This group of nineteen distinctive depictions of fruit and vegetables from South-East Asia are inscribed with titles in Indian English (possibly in Romanised Hindi) and drawn on European laid paper which is variously watermarked. There are three different numbering systems on the sheets. Many of the fruit and vegetables, such as the durian, are more commonly found in South-East Asia rather than on the Indian subcontinent, suggesting that it is possible that the drawings may have been made for a European patron in South-East Asia. Stylistically the drawings have many of the characteristics of the ‘Straits School’, a hybrid Indo-Chinese style.The accumulation of natural history drawings by officials of the British East India Company gave rise to the term ‘Company School’, now out of favour, which has been used to describe the work of Indian or Chinese artists for British patrons. The distinctive style is a result of a fusion of two artistic traditions, the European with its desire for realism and the Asian taste for a more stylised approach. The work of Chinese artists is rarer than that of Indian artists and tends to be a little later in date.British patrons commissioned local artists to draw the flora and fauna of India and other areas of South-East Asia. Such work is typically annotated with botanical notes in native script, romanised versions of native descriptions, Latin and with reference to the Linnaean system of classification, created by Carl Linnaeus (1707-78).The eighteenth and early nineteenth century saw an enormous rise of interest in Europe in the study of natural history by both scientists and amateurs. A knowledge of the subject was considered to be an important part of a liberal education and many people studied ‘natural philosophy’ and the various branches of natural history. Accurate drawings were vital tools in classification as well as a reminder of the excited reaction to new discoveries being made all over the known world.The collecting of specimens was the basis of most natural history drawings, plants were pressed and dried and the drawings recorded the specimen in its living shape and colours.This group of fruit and vegetables are found in various parts of South-East Asia. Some are common others are less well known.The collection is presented mounted in a hand-made solander box.Brinjala (Aubergine)Inscribed l.r.: Brinjala and numbered ninety-five, N106 and 96, watercolour, bodycolour and gum arabic on wove paper31.7 x 20.5 cm.; 12 ½ x 8 1/8 inchesAubergine is known as brinjal in South-East Asia.MangosteenInscribed l.r.: mongostan, numbered ninety-seven. N 97 and 101, watercolour and gum arabic on laid paper watermarked IFD31.7 x 20.5 cm.; 12 ½ x 8 1/8 inchesMangosteens grow in South East Asia, particularly in Indonesia. It is a juicy, slightly acidic fruit and it is also used in traditional medicine.Ratahouli (pepper)Inscribed l.c.: Ratahouli, numbered ninety-five, N107 and 1010, watercolour and gum arabic on laid paper watermarked HIS/GD33 x 23 cm.; 13 x 9 inchesCashewInscribed Rajab, numbered ninety-eight, N109 and 1012, watercolour and gum arabic on laid paper33 x 23 cm.; 13 x 9 inchesThe cashew tree is a tropical evergreen tree that produces the cashew seed and the cashew accessory fruit. The nut can be seen growing from the bottom of the fruits in the drawing, both green and then brown once it has ripened.Jambu Air (Szygium Aqueum)Inscribed l.c.: jambol, numbered A Hundred, N111 and 1019, watercolour and gum arabic on laid paper watermarked HIS33 x 23 cm.; 13 x 9 inchesThis is a special of the brush cherry tree; its common names include watery rose apple and bell fruit.ChilliInscribed l.r.: fjoli, numbered ninety-one, N100 and 105, watercolour and gum arabic on laid paper watermarked with a crest33 x 23 cm.; 13 x 9 inchesPomegranateInscribed l.r. ramangh, numbered A hundred and three, N114 and 1019, watercolour and gum arabic on laid paper watermarked HIS33 x 23 cm.; 13 x 9 inchesPapayaWatercolour and gum arabic inscribed l.r. papaya, numbere ninety-nine, N100 and 1013, on laid paper watermarked with a crest32.5 x 23 cm.; 12 ½ x 9 inchesDurianInscribed l.r.: doorian, numbered eighty-five, N94 and 96, watercolour and gum arabic on laid paper32.7 x 23 cm.; 12 ¾ x 9 inchesThe durian, with its spiny outer shell and moist, pungent flesh can weigh up to seven pounds. These large fruits grow on trees, have a short period of ripeness and their cultivation is difficult.The durian is famously not allowed on public transport in Singapore on account of its unpleasant smell.Lobed tropical tomatoInscribed l.r.: samati, numbered ninety, N100 and 109, watercolour with touches of gum arabic on laid paper32 x 21 cm.; 12 ½ x 8 ¼ inchesBerlimbingInscribed l.r.: blinbingh, numbered A hundred and two, N113 and No 16, on laid paper watermarked HIS33 x 23 cm.; 12 ¾ x 9 inchesBerlimbing, also known as bling bling or berling berling, is a sour fruit used in curries.Buah Chiku (Sapodilla, Chikoo, Sapota or Naseberry)Inscribed l.r.: boa sawa, numbered ninety-three, N104 and 104, watercolour and gum arabic with touches of bodycolour on laid paper partially watermarked with the Strasburg Lily33 x 23 cm.; 13 x 9 inchesThis appears to be Buah Sawo or Chiku, but the identification of this plant is open to question.Ban Branjahr (?)Inscribed l.r.: Ban Branjarh (?), numbered eight eight, N90 and 102, watercolour, bodycolour and gum arabic on laid paper, watermarked31.7 x 20.5 cm.; 12 ½ x 8 1/8 inchesThis plant has not been identified.Lotus Inscribed l.c.: Fratil, numbered ninety-seven, N108 and 1011, watercolour and gum arabic, watermarked with a crest33 x 23 cm.; 13 x 9 inches This drawing shows the lotus head with seeds after it has flowered. It is the seed of plants in the genus Nelumbo and the seeds are used in Asian cooking and traditional medicine.Melon (probably watermelon)Inscribed l.r.: patuka, numbered ninety-two N103 and 106, watercolour and gum arabic on laid paper33 x 23 cm.; 13 x 9 inchesMangoInscribed l.r.: Manga, numbered A Hundred and one, N112 and 1015, watercolour and gum arabic31.7 x 20.5 cm.; 12 ½ x 8 1/8 inchesLonganInscribed l.r.: froita lanja, numbered eight nine, N99 and 103, watercolour and gum arabic on laid paper watermarked with a crest32.2 x 21 cm.; 12 ½ x 8 ¼ inchesRambutanInscribed l.r.: frouita kafri, numbered eighty-six, N96 and 100, watercolour and gum arabic 32 x 21 cm.; 12 ½ x 8 ¼ inchesBuah Gowok (Syzgium polycephalum)Inscribed l.r.: rambutan and numbered eighty-five, watercolour and gum arabic and pencil on laid paper31.7 x 20.5 cm.; 12 ½ x 8 1/8 inches

Signed and dated in gold paint l.l.: Geo Richmond.1834, watercolour over pencil heightened with white and gold and touches of gum arabic35.3 x 25.1 cm.; 13 ¾ x 9 7/8 inchesProvenanceBy descent in the family of the sitter until 2015;Their sale, Bonhams, London, 24 November 2015, lot 95;Private collection, U.K.LiteratureR. Lister, George Richmond A Critical Biography, 1981, p. 162, nos. 203 and 204The sitter wears the uniform of the Madras Horse Artillery, and the Order of the Bath Companion’s breast badge, and is standing in an Indian landscape with his hand upon a cannon.Lieutenant Colonel Sir Charles Hopkinson was born on September 14th, 1783, in Grantham, Lincolnshire. He had a distinguished career in the service of the East India Company and commanded the Company's artillery during the First Anglo-Burmese War (1824-1826). He was made a Companion of the Most Honourable Military Order of The Bath and subsequently knighted for his services. He died in December 1864.The Madras Army was the army of the Presidency of Madras and run by the East India Company until 1858. It was finally merged into the Indian army in 1895.After his marriage to Julia Tatham in 1831 George Richmond turned to portrait painting. He quickly established a fashionable painting practise and became one of the most fashionable portrait painters of his time.

Two, bodycolour, one on paper watermarked: SMITH & ALLNUTT 1815Each 20.5 x 33.5 cmProvenance: Mrs BaldockThe artists of the Patna School specialised in the depiction of everyday activities for their British patrons. Traditionally described as the work of the Company School (reflecting the patronage of the East India Company employees) this unique genre evolved as the painting styles of Western and Mughal traditions merged.