A LANDSCAPE WITH SERVANTS AND A PALANQUIN UNDER A BANYAN TREE NEAR A TANK, COMPANY SCHOOL, CIRCA 1840

Watercolour on paper

Hartnoll and Eyre Ltd, London, 1975

Room for Wonder: Indian Painting During the British Period 1760-1880, The American Federation of Arts, New York, 1978
Sahibs, Memsahibs and Maharajas: Indian Art Under British Rule 1765-1880, Harvard Art Museums, 1989

Welch 1978, no.78, pp.176-177

Good condition. As viewed.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This slightly mysterious work shows an enigmatic scene in which the figures facing the viewer in the foreground seem almost out of place and self-conscious. The landscape scene of the large banyan tree, wide tank, Hindu temple and distant wooded slopes is atmospherically rendered, the rising mist revealing a small group of bathers in the far corner of the tank.

It has been suggested that it could be "a naive version of an unknown work by Richard Barron" (Welch 1978, p.177; Eyre 1974) and certainly the style, especially the specific depiction of the trees and figures, and the mood, would fit with his work. Richard Barron (fl.1815-38) was a captain in the Buffs (His Majesty's 3rd Regiment), and was stationed in the Nilgri Hills in 1835 while acting as aide-de-camp to Lieutenant General Sir Frederick Adam, Governor of Madras. In the 1837 his Views in India, Chiefly Among the Neelgherry Hills Taken During a Short Residence in them in 1835, was published in London by Robert Havell.

Another suggestion as to the origin of the present work is Satara in western India (see Welch 1978, p.177).