Gate of the Loll-Baug, at Fyzabad de DANIELL, Thomas (1749-1840) and William DANIELL (1769-1837) - 1801

London: Thos. Daniell R. A. Howland Street Fitzroy Square, 1801. Hand-coloured aquatint on heavy wove paper. Image: 17 3/4 x 23 5/8 inches; sheet size: 21 x 29 1/8 inches. A fine example of 18th century Mughal architecture in Uttar Pradesh, near Nepal The print shows the entrance gateway to the Lal Bagh at Faizabad, a pleasure garden established by Shuja' al-Daula (1732-1775). Shuja' al-Daula was ruler (Nawab) of the state of Avadh whose capital was Faizabad. It is built in typical late Mughal style with a plethora of small arches and overhanging balconies with curvilinear roofs. Faizabad was the first capital of the Nawabs of Avadh under Nawabs Burhan al-Mulk and Safdar Jang, before the latter moved it to Lucknow. Shuja' al-Daula moved the capital back to Faizabad from 1765-75 as it was more strategically placed at a time of tension with the East India Company based in Calcutta. The Daniells' Oriental Scenery is considered to be the finest illustrated works on India. Thomas Daniell and his nephew William spent nine years in India making studies, sketches and drawings of the scenery, architecture, and antiquities that graced the countryside. They then devoted a further thirteen years to publishing their remarkably accurate aquatints. In Britain, the impact was explosive. A cult of Indian architecture, landscaping and interior decoration arose, with the Royal Pavilion at Brighton as its centerpiece. The Daniells gave the English public their first accurate look at the exotic sub-continent. Their great achievement still lies in their ability to blend the picturesque with the real, resulting in images that capture the European taste for the sublime landscape, while still remaining faithful to their subjects. The Daniells brought the romance of the English landscape to the antiquities of India and provided England with an accurate vision of this wondrous country. Consisting of one hundred and forty-four views, published in six parts, the work was issued in seven stages: three sets of twenty-four plates titled Oriental Scenery with title dates of 1795, 1797, and 1801; twelve plates titled Antiquities of India dated 1799; twenty-four plates titled Hindoo Excavations dated 1803; twenty-four plates titled Views in Hindoostan dated 1807; and twelve further plates of Antiquities of India published without a title page in 1808. All plates were engraved by the Daniells and all are taken from their drawings save the twenty-four plates of Hindoo Excavations , which are after drawings by James Wales.