Lot No. 2: SOLVYN, F. B.

SOLVYN, F. B.

THE COSTUMES OF HINDOSTAN

ELUCIDATED BY SIXTY COLOURED ENGRAVINGS

WITH DESCRIPTIONS IN ENGLISH AND FRENCH, TAKEN IN THE YEARS 1798 AND 1799.

Number of Plates: 60 hand colored aquatint plates taken in the years 1798 and 1799

Year: 1807

Size: 36.8 x 26.2 cm (14.4 x 10.3 inches)

Published by Edward Orme, Pp 125.

Solvyns was a Belgian by birth and came to Calcutta in 1790 as a coach painter. He was fascinated by the local people and their customs which led to a book entitled 'A Collection of Two Hundred and Fifty coloured etchings descriptive of the manners, customs and dresses of the Hindoos.', which was published in 1799. The venture proved to be a financial failure. He married a wealthy English woman Mary Anne Greenwood who helped him to produce his subsequent work. From Calcutta, Solvyns and his wife returned to Antwerp ad then moved to Paris. Here, between 1808 and 1812 he brought out a new and even larger edition of his work entitled 'Les Hindous'. His prints are not only appreciated for the charm and sensitive portrayal of their subjects but also for their detail and accuracy.

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Provenance : Collection of a Gentleman