Lot Essay
The Barabar Hills lie between Patna and Bodhgaya. The Lomas Rishi cave is one of the oldest surviving Indian monuments: it is dated by inscription to the reign of Asoka, in the 3rd Century BC, and was dedicated to the Ajivika sect. It is known to art historians as it provides the first example of the horseshoe-like chaitya arch motif, and to students of literature for providing the model for E.M. Forster's 'Marabar Caves'. The modest scale of the cave, the delicate carving and the wild terrain have all been captured faithfully in this image. It is one of four watercolours in this collection signed 'WD', suggesting that it was the work of William Daniell alone (see lots 31, 37, 48). The Daniells visited the cave in the spring of 1790, while on their way back to Bhagalpur.