North View of Suvarnadurg from Madhugiri

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Details

Size:	10.25 x 14.25 inches (framed)
Medium:	Hand-Coloured Engraving
Condition:	Good condition

Description

A copper engraved plate by Skelton, after Robert Home from “Select Views in Mysore, the Country of Tippoo Sultan: from drawings taken on the spot by Mr. Home; with historical descriptions.” originally published in London and Madras in 1794. The hand-coloured engraving is titled “North View of Severndroog from Maugree” and depicts Suvarnadurg (Marathi translation: Golden Fort), a fort between Mumbai and Goa on a small island in the Arabian Sea, in Maharashtra from Madhugiri a hillock, Madhu-giri (honey-hill). The fort's objective was to counter enemy attacks, mainly by the colonialists of Europe and also by the local chieftains. In this extract from the book “Select views in Mysore” this engraving of Suvarnadurg is described as follows:
“SAVENDROOG.
This stupendous fortress, situated nineteen miles nearly west by south from Bangalore, enjoys such advantages from nature, as to need little assistance from art; though art seems to have neglected nothing to render it absolutely impregnable. It is a vast mountain of rock, supposed to rise above half a mile in perpendicular height, from a base of eight or ten miles in circumference. Completely surrounded by walls, and defended by cross walls and barriers wherever it was deemed accessible, it has the farther advantage of being divided above by a vast chasm, separating it into two hills ; each of which having it's own defences, two distinct citadels are formed, capable of being maintained independant of the lower works. Beside all this, added to the rocky hills and natural forest thickened with clumps of planted bamboos, which constitute no easily surmountable barricade, the
pestiferous atmosphere threatens with inevitable destruction the hardiest troops, should they lie long before it. Hence it's significant appellation of Savendroog, or the Rock of Death. So confident indeed was Tippoo Sultan in it's strength, that he was highly pleased when he heard the british troops had run their heads against the tremendous Gurdun Shekô, a name he had himself given it, implying the Neck of Majesty; and his courtiers even congratulated him on the event, as on a victory.”

Robert Home (1752 - 1834) was a painter known for his scenic landscape paintings set in India. Home attended the Royal Academy Schools in 1769, where he trained under neoclassical painter Angelica Kauffmann. Upon her recommendation, Home went on to train and live in Rome from 1773 - 1779 and then went to India in 1790. He arrived during the Third Anglo-Mysore War (1789-92), most likely on an official assignment to record the war was between the Kingdom of Mysore, led by ruler Tipu Sultan, and the British East India Company. Over the course of his stay in India, Home established himself as a highly successful portrait artist and worked mainly in Madras, Calcutta and Lucknow. Many of his drawings are part of the collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
The engraver was most probably William Skelton (1763 - 1848) who studied in the schools of the Royal Academy, and was a pupil first of James Basire and later of William Sharp, before becoming a line engraver.

The engraving measures 5.5 x 7.5 inches without the frame and 10.25 x 14.25 inches with the frame.

Description

A copper engraved plate by Skelton, after Robert Home from “Select Views in Mysore, the Country of Tippoo Sultan: from drawings taken on the spot by Mr. Home; with historical descriptions.” originally published in London and Madras in 1794. The hand-coloured engraving is titled “North View of Severndroog from Maugree” and depicts Suvarnadurg (Marathi translation: Golden Fort), a fort between Mumbai and Goa on a small island in the Arabian Sea, in Maharashtra from Madhugiri a hillock, Madhu-giri (honey-hill). The fort's objective was to counter enemy attacks, mainly by the colonialists of Europe and also by the local chieftains. In this extract from the book “Select views in Mysore” this engraving of Suvarnadurg is described as follows:
“SAVENDROOG.
This stupendous fortress, situated nineteen miles nearly west by south from Bangalore, enjoys such advantages from nature, as to need little assistance from art; though art seems to have neglected nothing to render it absolutely impregnable. It is a vast mountain of rock, supposed to rise above half a mile in perpendicular height, from a base of eight or ten miles in circumference. Completely surrounded by walls, and defended by cross walls and barriers wherever it was deemed accessible, it has the farther advantage of being divided above by a vast chasm, separating it into two hills ; each of which having it's own defences, two distinct citadels are formed, capable of being maintained independant of the lower works. Beside all this, added to the rocky hills and natural forest thickened with clumps of planted bamboos, which constitute no easily surmountable barricade, the
pestiferous atmosphere threatens with inevitable destruction the hardiest troops, should they lie long before it. Hence it's significant appellation of Savendroog, or the Rock of Death. So confident indeed was Tippoo Sultan in it's strength, that he was highly pleased when he heard the british troops had run their heads against the tremendous Gurdun Shekô, a name he had himself given it, implying the Neck of Majesty; and his courtiers even congratulated him on the event, as on a victory.”

Robert Home (1752 - 1834) was a painter known for his scenic landscape paintings set in India. Home attended the Royal Academy Schools in 1769, where he trained under neoclassical painter Angelica Kauffmann. Upon her recommendation, Home went on to train and live in Rome from 1773 - 1779 and then went to India in 1790. He arrived during the Third Anglo-Mysore War (1789-92), most likely on an official assignment to record the war was between the Kingdom of Mysore, led by ruler Tipu Sultan, and the British East India Company. Over the course of his stay in India, Home established himself as a highly successful portrait artist and worked mainly in Madras, Calcutta and Lucknow. Many of his drawings are part of the collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
The engraver was most probably William Skelton (1763 - 1848) who studied in the schools of the Royal Academy, and was a pupil first of James Basire and later of William Sharp, before becoming a line engraver.

The engraving measures 5.5 x 7.5 inches without the frame and 10.25 x 14.25 inches with the frame.

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Details

Size:	10.25 x 14.25 inches (framed)
Medium:	Hand-Coloured Engraving
Condition:	Good condition

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All orders are insured for transit.

This item cannot be shipped outside India.

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