Sir Thomas Anbury (1759-1840)
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Sir Thomas Anbury (1759-1840)

North East View of Hyderabad, on the Musi river

Details
Sir Thomas Anbury (1759-1840)
North East View of Hyderabad, on the Musi river
inscribed 'The City of Hydrabad' (on the artist's wash-line mount, overmounted), and inscribed again 'City of Hydrabad' (on the back of the mount)
pencil, pen and grey ink and watercolour
10½ x 25¼ in. (26.6 x 64.1 in.)
Provenance
with Giles Eyre, May 1972, where purchased for the present collection.
Exhibited
India Observed, no. 71.
Engraved
Francis Jukes, Hindoostan Scenery, 1799, aquatint, plate 8.
Special notice
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Lot Essay

Sir Thomas Anbury served as a lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers in India in 1790. During the Third Mysore War of 1792, he was employed to survey the route of the allied army - composed of English, Nizam and Maratha troops - from Seringapatam to Hyderabad, as they successfully occupied further Mysore territory after their victory at Seringapatam in March 1792.

The resulting twelve watercolours were aquatinted by Francis Jukes and published in 1799. This was the eighth, and has been dated by Mildred Archer to circa 1792. Hyderabad, the sixth largest city in India on the south bank of the Musi river, was founded in 1591 and planned as a grid around its most impressive monument, the Char Minar - grand entrance to the Qutb Shahi palace. Built in 1592, this can be seen in the central distance; just beyond is the Jami Mosque (built in 1598). To the far left is the Mecca Mosque, with its distinctive polygonal minarets.

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