WD2997

Government house, Buitenzorg (Bogor), Java. 1816

Probably by William Daniell after a sketch by Mary Fendall.

Inscribed on front in pencil in the hand of Captain G.P. Baker: ‘The Government House Buitenzorg in Java.’ Watermark: ‘J. Green 1815.’

Pencil; 26.5 by 42.2 cm.

Note: The drawing depicts Government House at Buitenzorg as it was after the completion of the work of renovation and reconstruction carried out by Raffles. The alterations made to the roofs of the two wings (cf. wd2996) were, from an aesthetic point of view, all to the good since they gave to the three main buildings a common classical style. So far as the drawing itself is concerned, the water-mark indicates that if it was made in Java it would have to be assigned to a period when the Government House was occupied by Raffles's successor, John Fendall, and his family. The pencil work, however, is not that of the amateur, Mary Fendall (WD2999-3003), but evinces the confident spare line of the professional artist, in fact, the unmistakable hand of William Daniell. This attribution means that the drawing was made in London, some time late in 1816 or early 1817, for the purpose of illustrating Raffles's ‘The History of Java.’ The drawing in size and line is exactly what was required for an aquatint, and, indeed, it affords clear evidence of having been traced, possibly for transfer on to a waxed copper plate. The aquatint was apparently never completed as Baker's notes on the drawings and illustrations for the second edition of ‘The History of Java’ refer only to four plates having been finished by Daniell ('views of Buitenzorg & the Volcanos of G. Salak, Gede &c'), obviously the four uncoloured aquatints in Lady Raffles's ‘Memoir of the Life and Public Services of Sir Thomas’ ‘Stamford Rqffles’ (London, 1830). Three of the models for those aquatints are in the collection (WD3000, 3002-3). It seems likely therefore that the present drawing was either a composite reconstruction or based on another drawing by Mary Fendall which is no longer extant.