Oriental Scenery. Twenty Four Views In Hindoostan Drawn And Engraved By Thomas Daniell, And With Permission Respectfully Dedicated To The Honourable Court Of Directors Of The East India Company.

Plate volumes [I-IV]: T.pl., 24 pl. - Text vols.: vol. [I]: [iv], 47, [1] p. - vol. [II]: [iv], 47, [1] p. - vol. [III]: 28 p. - vol. [IV]: [iv], 52 p. (In the Academy's copy pages 3 and [4] have been misbound in between pages 12 and 13.)

It is the title of the letter-press booklet accompanying the fourth set of plates, 'Twenty-Four Landscapes, (The Fourth Series) Views In Hindoostan', that indicates that these sets of plates and texts are to be regarded as parts of one series. While these four parts were being published in 1795-1807 the Daniells also brought out their 'Antiquities of India' (title plate dated 1799 but with half the plates dated 1808), and their 'Hindoo Excavations In The Mountains Of Ellora' (1803). However both these publications are now often referred to respectively as the 5th and 6th parts of the complete series of 'Oriental Scenery' plates. Each part was issued with a separate letter-press booklet (in 8° format) describing the engraved views that it contained.

The wording of the engraved and letterpress titles varies slightly, as follows:

[Part 1]: Engraved title reads as above [after 'Twenty-Four Views In Hindoostan' the letterpress title has the words 'Taken In The Years 1789 and 1790;'];

[Part 2]: Engraved title reads 'Oriental Scenery. Twenty Four Views In Hindoostan, From The Drawings Of Thomas Daniell, Engraved By Himself And William Daniell, And With Permission Respectfully Dedicated To The Right Honourable Henry Dundas, One Of His Majesty's Principal Secretaries Of State, President Of The Board Of Commissioners For The Affairs Of India, Treasurer Of The Navy, &c. &c.' [the letterpress title replaces the words 'Hindoostan, From the Drawings of Thomas Daniell' with the words, 'Hindoostan, Taken In The Year 1792; Drawn And'];

[Part 3]: Engraved title reads 'Oriental Scenery. Twenty Four Views In Hindoostan, Drawn And Engraved By Thomas And William Daniell, And With Permission Respectfully Dedicated To The Right Honorable George Viscount Lewisham, President Of The Board Of Commissioners For The Affairs Of India.' [the letterpress title replaces 'Thomas And William' with 'Thomas & William'];

[Part] 4: Engraved title reads 'Twenty Four Landscapes, Views In Hindoostan; Drawn And Engraved By Thomas Daniell And William Daniell, With Permission Respectfully Dedicated To The Right Honourable George Obrien Earl Of Egremont.' [the letterpress title has '(The Fourth Series)' inserted between 'Landscapes,' and 'Views In Hindoostan'].

Publication-dates carried on the title-plates and title pages of the four parts are:

[Part1]: March 1 1795 [the numbered plate carrying publication dates of 1795 March (pl. 1, 2), May (3, 4), July (5, 6), September (7, 8), November (9, 10), 1796 January (11, 12), March (13, 14), May (15, 16), July (17, 18), September (19, 20), November (21, 22), 1797 January (23, 24)];

[Part 2]: August 1797 [the numbered plate carrying publication dates of 1797 August (pl. 1, 2), September (7, 8), November (13, 14), December (19, 20), 1798 February (3, 4), March (9, 10), May (15, 16), July (21, 22), August (5, 6), September (11, 12), November (17, 18), December (23, 24)];

[Part 3]: June 1801 [the numbered plates carrying publication dates of 1801 August 1 (pl. 1, 2), October 1 (3, 4), December 1 (5, 6), 1802 February 1 (7, 8), April 1 (9, 10), June 1 (11, 12), August 1 (13, 14), October 1 (15, 16), December 1 (17, 18), 1803 February 1 (19, 20), April 1 (21, 22), June 1 (23, 24)];

[Part] 4: May 1807 [the numbered plates carry publication dates of 1804 January 1 (pl. 1-12), March 1 (13, 14), May 1 (15, 16), July 1 (17, 18), September 1 (19, 20), November 1 (21, 22), 1805 January 1 (23, 24).

The numbered plates are captioned, and show:

[Part 1]: I. Eastern Gate Of The Jummah Masjid At Delhi; II. Hindoo Temples At Bindrabund On The River Jumna; III. North East View Of The Cotsea Bhaug, On The River Jumna, Delhi; IV. Ruins At The Ancient City Of Gour Formerly On The Banks Of The River Ganges; V. Raje Gaut, The Principal Road Up To Rotas Ghur, Bahar; VI. The Chalees Satoon In The Fort Of Allahabad On The River Jumna; VII. Remains Of An Ancient Building Neare Firoz Shah's Cotilla, Delhi; VIII. Part Of The Palace In The Fort Of Allahabad; IX. Gate Of The Tomb Of The Emperor Akbar, At Secundra, Near Agra; X. Part Of The City Of Patna, On The River Ganges; XI. An Antient Hindoo Temple, In The Fort Of Rotas, Bahar; XII. The Mausoleum Of Mucdoom Shah Dowlut, At Moneah, On The River Soane; XIII. The Western Entrance Of Shere Shah's Fort, Delhi; XIV. Ramnugur, Near Benares, On The River Ganges; XV. The Sacred Tree Of The Hindoos At Gyah, Bahar; XVI. Dusasumade Gaut, At Benares, On The Ganges; XVII. Mausoleum Of Sultan Chusero, Near Allahabad; XVIII. The Taj Mahel, At Agra; XIX. Hindoo Temples At Agouree, On The River Soane, Bahar; XX. N.W. View Of Rotas Ghur, Bahar; XXI. Near Currah, On The River Ganges; XXII. Mausoleum Of Sultan Purvez, Near Allahabad; XXIII. The Jummah Musjed, Delhi; XXIV. Gate Leading To A Musjed, At Chunar Ghur;

[Part 2]: I. View Taken Of The Esplanade, Calcutta; II. View On The Chitpore Road, Calcutta; III. The Council House, Calcutta; IV. The Writers' Buildings, Calcutta; V. Govinda Ram Mittee's Pagoda, Calcutta; VI. Part Of Cheringhee, Calcutta; VII. South East View Of Fort St. George, Madras; VIII. Part Of The Black Town, Madras; IX. The Government House, Fort St. George; X. The Armenian Bridge, Near St. Thomas's Mount, Madras; XI. The Assembly Rooms On The Race Ground, Near Madras; XII. Western Entrance Of Fort St. George; XIII. Part Of The Palace, Madura; XIV. View In The Fort, Madura; XV. Interior View Of The Palace, Madura; XVI. An Hindoo Temple, At Madura; XVII. Ruins Of The Palace, Madura; XVIII. Tremal Naig's Choultry, Madura; XIX. The Rock Of Tritchinolopy, Taken On The River Cauvery; XX. The Great Pagoda, Tritchinopoly; XXI. View In The Fort Of Tritchinopoly; XXII. The Great Bull, An Hindoo Idol, At Tanjore; XXIII. South east View Of Tritchinopoly; XXIV. The Great Pagoda, Tanjore;

[Part 3]: I. Near The Fort Of Currah, On The River Ganges; II. Ruins In Rotas Gur, Bahar; III. Gate Of The Loll-Baug At Fyzabad; IV. Mausoleum Of The Ranee, Wife Of The Emperor Jehangire, Near Allahabad; V. The Punj Mahalla Gate, Lucnow; VI. The Mausoleum Of Amir Khusero, At The Ancient City Of Delhi; VII. Ruins At Cannauge; VIII. The Entrance To The Mausoleum In Sultan Khusero's Garden, Near Allahabad; IX. A Mosque At Juanpore; X. Gate Of A Mosque Built By Hafiz Ramut, Pillibeat; XI. Jag Deo & Warrangur, Hill Forts In The Barramahl; XII. Ryacotta, In The Barramahl; XIII. Verapadroog, In The Barramahl; XIV. Ousoor, In The`Mysore; XV. View Of Gyah, An Hindoo Town, In Bahar; XVI. Palace Of Nawaub Suja Dowla, At Lucnow; XVII. Lucnow Taken From The Opposite bank Of The River Goomty; XVIII. A Baolee Nar The Old City Of Delhi; XIX. View At Delhi, Near The Mausoleum Of Humaioon; XX. The Baolee At Ramnagur; XXI. View From The Ruions Of The Fort Of Currah, On The River Ganges; XXII. View Of Mutura, On The River Jumna; XXIII. Mausoleum Of Kausim Solemanee, At Chunar Gur; XXIV. Mausoleum Of Nawaub Assoph Khan, Rajemahel;

[Part] 4: I. Cape Comorin, Taken Near Calcad; II. The Water-Fall At Puppanassum In The Tinnevelly District; III. The Water-Fall At Courtallum, In The Tinnevelly District; IV. Shevagurry; V. Chevalpettore; VI. Neat Atoor, In The Dindigul District; VII. Sankry Droog; VIII. Near Bandell On The River Hoogly; IX. Siccra Gulley On The Ganges; X. Ramgur; XI. Dhuah Koonde; XII. Cannoge On The River Ganges; XIII. View At Nijeibabad, Near The Coaduwar Gaut, Rohilcund; XIV. Coaduwar Gaut; XV. View In The Koah Nullah; XVI. Jugeanor, In The Mountains Of Sirinagur; XVII. View Near Daramundi, In The Mountains Of Serinagur; XVIII. Near Dusa, In The Mountains Of Sirinagur; XIX. Buddell, Opposite Bilkate In The Mountains Of Sirinagur; XX. View On The Ram-Gunga, Between Buddell & Bilkate; XXI. View Taken Between Natan & Taka Ca Munda, Sirinagur Mountains; XXII. Between Taka Ca Munda And Sirinagur; XXIII. The Rope Bridge At Sirinagur; XXIV. View Taken Near The City Of Sirinagur.

The plates are all hand-coloured aquatints.

Some of the original drawings for this work are held by the Royal Institute of British Architects, London.

After studying at the Royal Academy Schools (1773) and exhibiting regularly at the Academy until 1784, Thomas Daniell travelled to India with his nephew William and spent eight years touring the sub-continent (1786-94) and drawing views of the country and its ancient buildings. Not being trained engravers, they sought the help of Indian craftsmen, and published their first engraved views of Calcutta in 1788; but, though they sold many paintings in India, most of their engraved views were published after their return to Britain. They also exhibited oil-paintings of Indian subjects at the Royal Academy and the British Institution. About 1805-10 Thomas helped the architect S.P. Cockerell design Sezincote house in Gloucestershire in Mughal style, and Humphrey Repton design Hindu structures for its garden springs. William toured Britain and made aquatints for R. Ayton's A Picturesque Voyage round Great Britain (1814-25).

Thomas Daniell's oil-painting, 'Hindoo Temples at Bindrabund, East Indies' (1797) and a pencil portrait of Thomas Daniell by George Dance (ca. 1800) may be seen at the Royal Academy.