4th Jun, 2025 11:00
Indian, Islamic, Himalayan and South-East Asian Art and Greek and Roman Antiquities
44
BAILLIE, WILLIAM (1752/3-1799), THREE PRINTS FROM 'VIEWS OF CALCUTTA', CALCUTTA, 1794
three from a series of twelve etched and engraved plates, all coloured by a contemporary hand, framed, each image 27.2 x 37.8cm. (3)
William Baillie, born in either 1752 or 1753, went to India in 1777. He arrived as a cadet in the Bengal Infantry, transferring to the Engineers in 1778. In 1786, in addition to his military career, he started a weekly newspaper called the Calcutta Chronicle. In 1788 he resigned from his commission in the army with the intention of becoming an artist though by 1792 he needed to accept the position of secretary of the Free School Society in Calcutta. During this period Baillie developed the idea to produce and publish a series of views of Calcutta disclosing this plan to the artist Ozias Humphry in 1793. Though many of his proposed projects failed to come to anything, Baillie succeeded in having this series published in 1794. A complete series was sold at Christies from the library of Norman Bobins, 13th July 2023, lot 140. Their appearance at auction remains rare.
Sold for £800
three from a series of twelve etched and engraved plates, all coloured by a contemporary hand, framed, each image 27.2 x 37.8cm. (3)
William Baillie, born in either 1752 or 1753, went to India in 1777. He arrived as a cadet in the Bengal Infantry, transferring to the Engineers in 1778. In 1786, in addition to his military career, he started a weekly newspaper called the Calcutta Chronicle. In 1788 he resigned from his commission in the army with the intention of becoming an artist though by 1792 he needed to accept the position of secretary of the Free School Society in Calcutta. During this period Baillie developed the idea to produce and publish a series of views of Calcutta disclosing this plan to the artist Ozias Humphry in 1793. Though many of his proposed projects failed to come to anything, Baillie succeeded in having this series published in 1794. A complete series was sold at Christies from the library of Norman Bobins, 13th July 2023, lot 140. Their appearance at auction remains rare.
Auction: Indian, Islamic, Himalayan and South-East Asian Art and Greek and Roman Antiquities, 4th Jun, 2025
Auction Location: London, UK
The sales include sculpture, bronzes, metalwork, textiles and paintings representative of the richly varied styles seen across the Indian subcontinent, from early Buddhist and Jain art to Mughal and European-influenced works of art of the colonial era.
Works of art from all parts of the Islamic world, from Morocco in the west, through the Middle East, Persia and Central Asia to muslim China and South East Asia in the East are included in the sale. Objects range in date from the early centuries of Islam to the early 20th century at a wide range of price levels.
The sales also include Khmer, Thai and Javanese sculpture and bronzes, textiles from the Indonesian islands, Thai ceramics, Burmese lacquer and Buddhist manuscripts. Works of art range from the early Indian-influenced styles from 9th century Java to the elaborate carved and lacquered woodwork from Colonial Burma.
For full details of bibliographic references, see pages 192-193 of the page turning and printed versions of the catalogue.
PUBLIC EXHIBITION:
Sunday 1st June 12pm - 4pm
Monday 2nd June 10am - 8pm
Tuesday 3rd June 10am - 5pm
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PUBLIC EXHIBITION:
Sunday 1st June 12pm - 4pm
Monday 2nd June 10am - 8pm
Tuesday 3rd June 10am - 5pm
