WD2973

Fort Cornwallis, Prince of Wales Island, Penang. 1804.

By William Westall.

Inscribed on front in water-colour: ‘Willm. Westall 1804’ and on reverse: ‘South View of Prince of Wales Island. Drawn & finished while in a Vessel off the Island in 1804. G.W. Westall’.

Water-colour; 33 by 49.3 cm.

Note: This water-colour is one of the earliest extant views of Prince of Wales Island (Penang) before it was elevated to a Presidency Government in 1805. It depicts in some detail Fort Cornwallis, named after Governor-General Lord Cornwallis (1738-1805), which was formidable in appearance but (according to Sir George Leith, Lieutenant-Governor of the island between 1800 and 1803) was totally incapable of defence. Judging by the inscription on the back, the water-colour was made by William Westall (1781-1850) when his ship was anchored off George Town during March 1804. It may have been included with those of his water-colours which he worked up on his return to England and exhibited in a Brook Street gallery in April 1808, some of which were of Chinese and Indian scenery. Another ten 'foreign' water-colours by him were included in the Associated Artists' exhibition held in the same year, and although there is no specific reference, it is almost certain that among them was a view of Penang. This inference is supported by the fact that Cadell and Davies purchased in 1809 the right to use his water-colours of Madeira and the Orient for a set of engravings, and one of Prince of Wales Island was included in the set of nine which they issued in three parts between 1811 and 1814 under the title ‘Foreign’ ‘Scenery.’ No copy of this work has apparently survived, but it seems likely that the rather uninspired engraving by Baily of Prince of Wales Island, which was published on 30 January 1813 by Joyce Gold for inclusion in ‘The Naval Chronicle,’ XXIX, of the same year, was modelled on the Cadell and Davies engraving. Whatever may be the fact, the engraving by Baily is based on the present water-colour, or another very like it, which would suggest that the drawing could not have come into Raffles's possession until after he returned to England from Java in 1816.