A temple courtyard, possibly Bengal or Bihar

The present watercolour is thought to have been executed by an Indian or Anglo-Indian artist who was trained at one of the surveying schools in Calcutta. Artists from the survey schools were taken on by surveyor-generals such as Colin MacKenzie (1754-1821). The present watercolour is almost identical to one from the MacKenzie Collection in the India Office Library, with the initials 'J.C.M.' (acquisition number WD732). The IOL version depicts the same architecture but does not include the figures. (See M. Archer, Drawings in the India Office Library, vol. II, p. 472-551.) Most of the survey school artists remained anonymous although some are known by their initials.