Lot Essay
'3 July 1792: Breakfasted at Tappacallam [a tank outside Madurai] & went to the Old palace where we spent the Day. Pitched our Tent to the S of the Palace near the Rampart inside the fort, where we propose remaining during our Stay at Madura' (Journal).
The Daniells made several drawings of the palace which had been built at Madurai by Tirumala Nayak (1623-59), and included a series of views of it in Oriental Scenery, Volume 2, nos.13-17. Subsequently, in 1871, the palace was substantially restored, under the supervision of the architect Robert Chisholm; but many of the parts depicted by the Daniells have not survived, and nothing in the present view remains today except the gateway of the distant temple. The Daniells observed that in the palace 'appears a great mixture of the Hindoo and Mahommedan styles of architecture' (Oriental Scenery), and indeed it is an eclectic structure. The strange pyramidal roofs to the left in this view are typical of the region, being comparable to those on the contemporary Vijayanagara palace at Chandragiri.
From the simple linearity of this drawing, it seems reasonable to suppose that it was made using a camera obscura. The composition relates directly to that of an oil painting made by Thomas in 1811 (Shellim, 1979, TD73), showing how the Daniells continued to make use of their sketches long after their return, to ensure the accuracy of their views.
The Daniells made several drawings of the palace which had been built at Madurai by Tirumala Nayak (1623-59), and included a series of views of it in Oriental Scenery, Volume 2, nos.13-17. Subsequently, in 1871, the palace was substantially restored, under the supervision of the architect Robert Chisholm; but many of the parts depicted by the Daniells have not survived, and nothing in the present view remains today except the gateway of the distant temple. The Daniells observed that in the palace 'appears a great mixture of the Hindoo and Mahommedan styles of architecture' (Oriental Scenery), and indeed it is an eclectic structure. The strange pyramidal roofs to the left in this view are typical of the region, being comparable to those on the contemporary Vijayanagara palace at Chandragiri.
From the simple linearity of this drawing, it seems reasonable to suppose that it was made using a camera obscura. The composition relates directly to that of an oil painting made by Thomas in 1811 (Shellim, 1979, TD73), showing how the Daniells continued to make use of their sketches long after their return, to ensure the accuracy of their views.