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Lot Essay
'Upon our arrival at Benares, we took up our abode near the Shewallah Gaut, the former residence of Cheit Singh, who has become memorable in the annals of British India from the insurrection which he raised against the English government during the administration of Warren Hastings, when, but for the prompt and energetic measures of the governor, the possession of India might have been lost to his country. The Shewallah Gaut is situated at the northern extremity of the city, on the very margin of the river. It is a handsome building, but by no means splendid, neither is it very capacious. It exhibits nothing of the eastern palace. There is a very large quadrangle behind it, in which are several small temples. ... The square storey upon the roof of the Shewallah Gaut was added by Sir Charles Wilkins, who occupied a portion of that building after Warren Hastings quitted Benares. In order to be as cool as possible during the hot nights, he had a sloping canopy raised upon the roof under which he slept. It was open on every side to the full influence of the atmosphere, so that from its elevation he enjoyed all the night breeze, without being exposed to the noisome visitation of those numerous reptiles which always swarm in the lower apartments of houses in India.' (The Oriental Annual, London, 1834, I, pp.141-2.)
The view of Shivala Ghat, Benares, was taken on the Daniells' tour of northern India, 1786-91. The riverside palace was the site of the imprisonment of the last independent Raja of Benares, Chait Singh, by Warren Hastings in 1781. The Daniells were at Benares on the outward journey in early December 1788 and on their return journey to Calcutta a year later. 'A few days later they were at Benares, and a wealth of drawings exist to record their visit ... On December 4th William writes: 'The general view of Banares from the Pinnace was so very grand that I staid on Board the whole day to draw it, fearing if we let slip the present opportunity that we might never see it in a better point of view. ... A drawing of 'Shuwallah Gaut' in private hands is probably the original for William's oil painting ... owned by Eric C. Dunstan. It was done on the return journey.' (T. Sutton, The Daniells Artists and Travellers, London, 1954, p.33). For Thomas Daniell's larger variant, painted in India, see Christie's, 26 June 1981, lot 110 (as William Daniell) and M. Shellim, India and the Daniells Additional Oil paintings, London, 1988, p.14, TD38A. There is a watercolour of the same subject by William Daniell, titled 'Shuwallah-Gaut, Bernares.' in the British Library for which see M. Archer, British Drawings in The India Office Library, II, WD 1295, colour frontispiece.
William Daniell depicts the party's boat, a pinnace budgerow, flying the Union flag and moored below the ghat, and what is probably their baggage boat (patella) alongside. The small pinnace was crewed by dandies and carried the Daniells (seen here on the canopied deck) and their seven attendants from Calcutta up river to Cawnpore, reached in the last week of 1788, where the boats were paid off and from whence they continued overland. On the river is a state barge (morpunkhi) named for its winged peacock prow (for which see also The Oriental Annual, London, 1835, vol. II, p.128, The Moah-punkee at Lucnow) approaching the visitors.
The view of Shivala Ghat, Benares, was taken on the Daniells' tour of northern India, 1786-91. The riverside palace was the site of the imprisonment of the last independent Raja of Benares, Chait Singh, by Warren Hastings in 1781. The Daniells were at Benares on the outward journey in early December 1788 and on their return journey to Calcutta a year later. 'A few days later they were at Benares, and a wealth of drawings exist to record their visit ... On December 4th William writes: 'The general view of Banares from the Pinnace was so very grand that I staid on Board the whole day to draw it, fearing if we let slip the present opportunity that we might never see it in a better point of view. ... A drawing of 'Shuwallah Gaut' in private hands is probably the original for William's oil painting ... owned by Eric C. Dunstan. It was done on the return journey.' (T. Sutton, The Daniells Artists and Travellers, London, 1954, p.33). For Thomas Daniell's larger variant, painted in India, see Christie's, 26 June 1981, lot 110 (as William Daniell) and M. Shellim, India and the Daniells Additional Oil paintings, London, 1988, p.14, TD38A. There is a watercolour of the same subject by William Daniell, titled 'Shuwallah-Gaut, Bernares.' in the British Library for which see M. Archer, British Drawings in The India Office Library, II, WD 1295, colour frontispiece.
William Daniell depicts the party's boat, a pinnace budgerow, flying the Union flag and moored below the ghat, and what is probably their baggage boat (patella) alongside. The small pinnace was crewed by dandies and carried the Daniells (seen here on the canopied deck) and their seven attendants from Calcutta up river to Cawnpore, reached in the last week of 1788, where the boats were paid off and from whence they continued overland. On the river is a state barge (morpunkhi) named for its winged peacock prow (for which see also The Oriental Annual, London, 1835, vol. II, p.128, The Moah-punkee at Lucnow) approaching the visitors.