William Westall's Indian Prints

Apart from the Indian prints mentioned in relation to 'The Naval Chronicle' and @Foreign Scenery' the following are also known.

1826-1830 'Scenery, Costumes & Architecture chiefly on the Western Side of India' by Captain Robert Melville Grindlay was published in 6 parts, with the first three parts then appearing as Vol I and the other three in Vol II. The first Volume was published by R.Ackermann and the second by Smith, Elder & Co.

Fifteen coloured aquatints after Westall, of which six are from sketches by others, appeared. These views date from his visit to India in 1804, although the prints incorrectly state the year as 1803.

Eight of William's views were used in an 1892 one volume reprint, all from parts 1-6

Part 1
No 2 'Approach of the Monsoon, Bombay Harbour' eng T.Fielding (this print is used on the cover of 'The Journal of the Families in British India Society' Number 13 Spring 2005.)

No 6 'The Mountains of Aboo, in Guzerat' from a sketch by Capt Grindlay eng T.Fielding.

Part 2
No 8 'Approach to the Bore Ghaut' from a sketch by Lt Col Johnson eng T.Fielding.

No 9 'View in the Bore Ghaut' eng T.Fielding. (This print or one very similar was published by George Baxter in 1837 for 'The Pictorial Album; or, Cabinet of Paintings' pub Chapman & Hall.)

No 10 'View from the Top of the Bore Ghaut' eng T.Fielding.

Part 3
No 15 'Hermitage at Currungalle' from a sketch by late Capt Auber eng R.G. Reeve.

No 16 'Fortress of Bowrie, in Rajpootana' from a sketch by late Capt Auber eng C. Bentley. (This plate was subsequently published in monochrome in 'Hindostan: its landscapes, palaces, temples, tombs' by Emma Roberts, pub Fisher & Co, The Caxton Press in 2 vols. Westall's plate is in Vol 2 but engraved by A. Le Petit. Publication date has been given as 1848 and 1850, indicating it was re-issued.)

No 17 'A north-West View of the Fort of Bombay' eng R.G. Reeve.

Part 4
No 23 'The Town and Pass of Boondi, in Rajpootana' from a sketch by late Capt Auber eng C. Bentley.

No 24 'A View near Tonk, in Rajpootana' from a sketch by late Capt Auber eng R.G Reeve.

Part 5
No 29 'Entrance of the Great Cave - Temple of Elephanta, nr Bombay' eng C.Bentley.

No 30 'Interior of the Great Cave - Temple of Elephanta' eng J. Baily

Part 6
No 33 'Exterior of the Great Cave-Temple of Elephanta' eng S.G. Hughes.

No 34 'The Great Triad, in the Cave-Temple of Elephanta' eng T. Edge.

No 35 'View of the City and Fortress of Tonk, in Rajpootana' eng C.F. Hunt.


In 1827 Noted but not located 'Views of the Cities, Palaces etc on the River Ganges and Jumna' published by Ackermann said to have had 24 coloured plates after Westall.

In 1834 'The Hindoos' was published in two volumes by Charles Knight for The Library of Entertaining Knowledge (also described as the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge) with 24 wood engravings from drawings by William Westall. It was re-published by M.A. Nattali in 1847.

Vol I

1 'Ghaut in the Himalayas'
2 'Bheem Ka Udar, a view in the Himalaya Mountains'
3 'The Bore - coming in of the Tide in the Ganges'
4 'Ferryboat on the Ganges'
5 'Jumna Musjeed, Delhi'
6 'City of Agra'
7 'Point de Galle, in the island of Ceylon,
8 'Individuals of the Four Great Castes'
9 'The Trimurti - Busts of Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva, in the Temple of Elephanta'
10 'Entrance to the Temple of Elephanta'
11 'City of Benares'
12 'Hindoo School'

Vol II

1 'Portrait of a Kshatriya, from the original Picture by Mr Slous'
2 'Yogis'
3 'Bayaderes, or Dancing-Girls'
4 'Native of the Garrow Hills in his War-dress'
5 'Pagoda at Ramiseram'
6 'Hindoo Houses at Calcutta'
7 'Hindoo Altar, from the original in the British Museum'
8 'Specimen of Hindoo Painting, from a Native Picture in the British Museum'
9 'Peacock Shooting'
10 'Ancient fortified city in Rajast'han'
11 'Dybuck, an astronomer, calculating an Eclipse'
12 'Sacred Bull at Tanjore'