BY THE MASTER OF THE FINE ALBUMS, CALCUTTA, INDIA, CIRCA 1800-05

This watercolour belongs to a group defined by their attention to botanical detail, bright colours, and elegant copperplate inscriptions. H. J. Noltie refers to the painter of this series as 'the Master of the Fine Albums' (H. J. Noltie, 'Indian export art? The botanical drawings', in William Dalrymple (eds.), Forgotten Masters: Indian Paintings for the East India Company, London, 2019, p.81). Though there is no indication from known paintings in the series as to the name of their artist or patron, Noltie believes that the inclusion of various scientific names on the paintings suggests an association with William Roxburgh. From 1793 to 1813 Roxburgh was the superintendent of the Calcutta Botanic Garden, responsible for the commissioning of 'Roxburgh's Icones', an album of some 2,542 watercolours which remain at the Sibpur Herbarium, bound in 35 volumes (Mildred Archer, Natural History Drawings in the India Office Library, London, 1962, p.22). His patronage made Calcutta the main centre of botanical painting in early 19th century India.

A large collection of paintings similar in style to our lot, including zoological as well as botanical subjects, are in the Natural History Museum in London (NHM ISC-Z/B). A further fifty-eight watercolours are also in the British Museum. Although the majority are painted in vertical format, some – like the present lot – are painted horizontally (see, for example, a depiction of a jackfruit, inv. 1999,0203,0.39). A folio in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York depicts the flowers of a cotton tree, and is known to have been painted for the merchant Richard Goodlad (acc.no.2016.489). The fact that this patron is known to have traded mainly in Calcutta and to have ties with the Botanic Garden strengthens the attribution of this series to that city. Another folio from the album depicting a Tamarind was recently sold in these Rooms as part of the collection of Toby Falk, 27 October 2023, lot 127.

This Bengal Currant appeared in the first volume of William Roxburgh's magnum opus, Flora Indica (Serampore, 1832, pp.687-9). In it, he describes the plant in great botanical detail and notes among its uses that it could be used to make 'exceedingly strong fences'. Indeed in the mid 19th century, vast numbers of Bengal Currant bushes were planted along the 'Inland Custom Line', designed to prevent the smuggling of salt from the coast to the mainland to avoid the infamous British salt tax. By 1878, the hedge stretched for over 400 miles before the customs line was finally abandoned the following year. In passing, Roxburgh also notes that the fruit could make jams and pickles which were better than those made from 'every other fruit in the country, not even the mango excepted'. He notes that the berries were 'universally eaten by the natives when ripe, and are tolerably pleasant to the taste even of a European'. The aforementioned album in the British Museum includes another painting of the Bengal Currant (acc.no.1999,0203,0.12)