The Old Court House and Writers' Buildings
Artist and publisher Thomas Daniell British
Not on view
Plate 2 from Thomas Daniell's "Views of Calcutta" represents the Old Court House at right, adorned with Ionic pilasters. The adjacent Writers' Building was built in 1777 as a headquarters for young civilians being trained by the East India Company, and the monument erected by John Zephaniah Howell is visible in the distance. Indians and Europeans walk on the busy foreground thoroughfare, or are conveyed by carriage, palanquin or cattle cart.
In 1784 Thomas Daniel obtained permission from the East India Company to travel to India to work as an engraver, assisted by his nephew William. The pair reached Calcutta in 1786 and soon began to issue the first topographical prints of the colonial capital. Twelve etched and aquatinted “Views of Calcutta” were completed by 1788, printed and hand-colored by Indian assistants. The images proved immensely popular in India and Europe, and helped to launch a vogue for Indian ornament and design in Britain.
