East View of The Forts Jellali & Merani, Muscat
Watercolour
1793 (painted)
1793 (painted)
Artist/Maker |
William Daniell was a landscape painter in oils and watercolours, and an engraver, mainly of Indian and British subjects. William had accompanied his uncle Thomas Daniell on an extensive tour of India between 1786 and 1793, assisting him with the watercolours that were later published as Oriental Scenery (6 parts 1795-1808). In 1793 the Daniells, intending to return to England, sailed from Bombay to Masqat. Here they heard news of the war between England and France and returned to Bombay, eventually to complete their journey the following year entirely by sea. Among the oils and watercolours of it that they had exhibited at the Royal Academy was William’s version of this view, hung in 1831, nearly forty years after their visit. Apart from the Daniells, few European artists visited Masqat, and representations of it are rare.
Both artist made sketches of the picturesque harbour of Masqat, dominated by the two sixteenth century fortresses built by the Portuguese. After 1500 the Portuguese had established a new trading route from the Indies, via the Cape of Good Hope, to Lisbon, and were attempting by force of arms to establish a trading monopoly in spices and other goods from India and the rest of East Asia. The chain of forts they constructed was very necessary, as their activity threatened the lucrative spice trade conducted by the Mamluks of Egypt. After the defeat of the Mamluks in 1517, the victorious Ottomans in turn mounted attacks on the Portuguese forts as part of their own attempts to dominate the trade.
Both artist made sketches of the picturesque harbour of Masqat, dominated by the two sixteenth century fortresses built by the Portuguese. After 1500 the Portuguese had established a new trading route from the Indies, via the Cape of Good Hope, to Lisbon, and were attempting by force of arms to establish a trading monopoly in spices and other goods from India and the rest of East Asia. The chain of forts they constructed was very necessary, as their activity threatened the lucrative spice trade conducted by the Mamluks of Egypt. After the defeat of the Mamluks in 1517, the victorious Ottomans in turn mounted attacks on the Portuguese forts as part of their own attempts to dominate the trade.
Object details
Category | |
Object type | |
Title | East View of The Forts Jellali & Merani, Muscat (assigned by artist) |
Materials and techniques | Watercolour over pencil, on laid paper watermarked J[?] TAYLOR [partly cut away] |
Brief description | Watercolour, `East View of The Forts Jellali & Merani, Muscat', 1793, by William Daniell RA |
Physical description | On the back, slight pencil sketches of boats. |
Dimensions |
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Styles | |
Marks and inscriptions | Inscribed with title, dated 1793 and signed with initials WD in margin |
Credit line | Purchased with the assistance of the National Heritage Memorial Fund, Art Fund, Shell International and the Friends of the V&A |
Object history | According to Rodney Searight: `T.H. Miller; bt from The Manning Galleries, April/May, 1972, [20th Anniversary Exhibition, 1972 (23)]' |
Historical context | In 1793 the Daniells intended to return to England, completing the first part of their journey by sea from Bombay to Muscat in June. In Muscat they heard news of the war between England and France and returned to Bombay. Both artists made sketches of the picturesque harbour of Muscat and later exhibited views of the subject at the RA, including a version of SD296 by William Daniell in 1831 (190). Cf. also a watercolour by Thomas Daniell, The Entrance to Muscat Harbour, 1793, sold Christie's, 1.3.77 (135). See Searight Archive. A version in W. Daniell & Revd H. Caunter, The Oriental Annual, 1836, facing p.191, engraved by J.C.Armytage. T. Sutton, 1954, p.83; P. Daniell, `The Daniells' Arabian Summer An Artist's Visit to Oman in 1793', Country Life, 1 October 1981, pp.1110-11. |
Subject depicted | |
Places depicted | |
Summary | William Daniell was a landscape painter in oils and watercolours, and an engraver, mainly of Indian and British subjects. William had accompanied his uncle Thomas Daniell on an extensive tour of India between 1786 and 1793, assisting him with the watercolours that were later published as Oriental Scenery (6 parts 1795-1808). In 1793 the Daniells, intending to return to England, sailed from Bombay to Masqat. Here they heard news of the war between England and France and returned to Bombay, eventually to complete their journey the following year entirely by sea. Among the oils and watercolours of it that they had exhibited at the Royal Academy was William’s version of this view, hung in 1831, nearly forty years after their visit. Apart from the Daniells, few European artists visited Masqat, and representations of it are rare. Both artist made sketches of the picturesque harbour of Masqat, dominated by the two sixteenth century fortresses built by the Portuguese. After 1500 the Portuguese had established a new trading route from the Indies, via the Cape of Good Hope, to Lisbon, and were attempting by force of arms to establish a trading monopoly in spices and other goods from India and the rest of East Asia. The chain of forts they constructed was very necessary, as their activity threatened the lucrative spice trade conducted by the Mamluks of Egypt. After the defeat of the Mamluks in 1517, the victorious Ottomans in turn mounted attacks on the Portuguese forts as part of their own attempts to dominate the trade. |
Bibliographic references |
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Collection | |
Accession number | SD.296 |
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Record created | January 3, 2008 |
Record URL |
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