Calcutta School, circa 1800
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Calcutta School, circa 1800

An Indian Sarus Crane, Grus Antigone

Details
Calcutta School, circa 1800
An Indian Sarus Crane, Grus Antigone
with inscription 'Saurace/[and in Persian]/Natural size' (upper left) and with further indistinct inscription 'antigone. I. Ordea 67/Indian Crane, gen... 38/1819-10' (lower left)
pen and black ink, watercolour and bodycolour
23 5/8 x 14 7/8 in. (60 x 38 cm.)
Provenance
George Annesley, 10th Viscount Valentia (1769 - 1844).
Stuart Cary Welch, from whom purchased by the present owner.
Special notice
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Lot Essay

This crane is found in marshes, flooded fields and swamps of southern Asia, particularly northern India, and in coastal northern Australia.

Stylistically the present drawing bears a strong resemblance to the studies of the birds that belonged to the travel writer George Annesley, 10th Viscount Valentia (1769-1844), which were exhibited by Cary Welch in Room for Wonder, 1978 (New York, The Asia Society, nos. 18 a-c). One of these drawings was shown at Hazlitt, Gooden & Fox, Indian Paintings for British Patrons 1770-1860, 1991, no. 11., as attributed to Gurudayal, an artist who worked at the menagerie at Barrackpore.

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