William Westall's Indian Views

In 1817 William Westall exhibited 'An Indian Army in a pass of the Ghauts, Decan, East Indies' at the Royal Academy (no 317). There is a similar painting also exhibited at the RA in 1824 (no 139) as 'Distant view of the Marhatta Country from the Boa Ghaut, between Bombay and Poonah'

The British Institution gave measurements of pictures and in 1818 W. Westall exhibited 'An Indian Army in the pass of the Ghauts Decan, East Indies', measuring 6 ft 6 ins by 5ft 5 ins as the outside of the frame. In 1825 the BI showed (no392) 'Distant View of the Marhatta Country. From the Boa Ghaut between Bombay and Poonah' with measurements 6ft 6ins by 5ft 6ins.

The two paintings would seem to have been at the RA and BI in consecutive years.

John Landseer wrote for William's obituary in the 'Art Journal' April 1850: 'Westall's forte was landscape portraiture...a large picture by his hand, a grand mountain scene with a lofty waterfall; a "View among the Ghauts of Hindostan', a picture possessing much the charming grey aerial tone and just degraduation on which the early fame of Turner was founded'.

Contemporary comment appeared in 'The European Magazine'Vol 85, June 1824 on the exhibition then at Somerset House: 'The academician Turner is absent this season...where we are so generally accustomed to see him in his glory...Turner's absence...is in great measure compensated by Calcott and W.Westall, who severally display merits that in Turner are often amalgamated...no 139 is entitled, Distant View of the Mahratta Country from the Boa Ghaut. This Boa Ghaut, we take to be the native country of the dreadful Boa serpent, and it looks like it. The figures represented, are a detatchment of the native army, commanded by an English officer, who, the day the study was made, passed the Ghaut with part of the artillery taken by Sir Arthur Wellesley at the Battle of Assaye Deccan. This picture is a grand assemblage of Indian forest scenery, with rocks and mountains, from which a river is precipitated; and will add to Mr W. Westall's well earned reputation as a travelled landscape painter of first rate ability. The very soul of the performance resides in that tender mixture of humid haze with the effulgence of sunlight, which confers at once beauty and vastness of dimensions on wild scenery, and of which we have endeavoured to suggest the idea above, as pervading a large portion of the admired landscapes of Turner'

Comment also appeared in Ackermann's 'Repository of Arts' Vol V p 168, 1818. This was of the BI exhibition. It reads: 'If an excellent and picturesque representation of Eastern scenery can recommend a subject, this has certainly this recommendation: the colouring is strong and vivid, and the scenery extremely interesting.'

In June 1824 Vol III (3rd series) p. 355 of the 'Repository of Arts' describes Westall's 'peculiarly romantic and well painted' picture at the RA. The 'Literary Gazette' July 10, 1824 no 390 p 442 refers the same painting as 'very highly interesting..striking, grand, and picturesque.'

In 1837 George Baxter reproduced 'The Boa Ghaut' explaining the Ghaut or gate forms 'one of the most striking peculiarities of Central India'. C.T. Courtney Lewis in 'Baxter: Picture Printer of the 19th Century' (1911) suggests that there are two prints of this Boa Ghaut picture 'one more artistic than the other.

Dr Mildred Archer whilst looking through some photographs of paintings with me found one very like the Baxter reproduction. The painting had previously been attributed to William Havell. I was able to see this original painting and a photograph of it can be seen on p. 28 of Turner Studies (Tate) Vol 4 No 1.