{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O165189"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O165189/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BB4253/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BB4253/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006BB4253","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O165189/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O165189","accessionNumber":"IS.152-1984","objectType":"Drawing","titles":[{"title":"Elephanta caves","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"Elephanta Island has held a particular fascination for western visitors since the 16th century because of its great antiquity. This drawing of the cave interior at Elephanta is a preparatory sketch for an aquatint by the Daniells. \r\n\r\nThomas and his young nephew William produced a visual record of India that surpassed the work of any other artists of the period. Their series of 144 hand-coloured aquatints published between 1795 and 1808 were an instant commercial success in Britain, greatly increasing knowledge of India. \r\n\r\nThe Daniells arrived in Calcutta in 1786 and set up a printing studio. Their first set of prints depicted the city and the profits from these financed their travels across India. Aware of the success of artist, William Hodges, they followed in his footsteps, travelling through much of north India and then up to the Himalayas. Three years later in 1791, they returned to Calcutta with 150 completed oil paintings. In 1792, a further eight month tour of South India resulted in some of their finest works. \r\n\r\nThe Daniells usually worked together, with William drawing the outlines with the aid of a camera obsucra, an optical device used to project an image onto paper which the artist could then trace, and Thomas adding the tonal washes and finishing touches.","physicalDescription":"This is a pencil sketch of the interior of a cave at Elephanta Island. There are four guardian figures surrounding the main shrine area which is within a pillared hall. The interior is in ruins, with rubble lying around and broken pillars.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Daniell, Thomas","id":"A8312"},"association":{"text":"artist","id":"AAT25103"},"note":""},{"name":{"text":"Daniell, William (RA)","id":"A7842"},"association":{"text":"artist","id":"AAT25103"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"Paper","id":"x30308"}],"techniques":[{"text":"drawing (image-making)","id":"AAT54196"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Pencil on paper","categories":[{"text":"Drawings","id":"THES48966"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"SSEA","id":"THES48598"},"images":["2006BB4253"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"003","id":"THES406561"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Drawing","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"India","id":"x29790"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"July 1973","earliest":"1973-07-01","latest":"1973-07-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"331","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"481","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Cave interior at Elephanta Island, by Thomas and William Daniell, drawing, pencil on paper, July 1793, India","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"Patel, Divia; Rohatgi, Pauline and Godrej, Pheroza, \"Indian Life and Landscape by Western Artists: an exhibition of paintings and drawings from the 17th to the early 20th century organised by the V&A and CSMVS\". Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS), Mumbai and Victoria and Albert Museum, 2008, ISBN:81-901020-8-7","id":"AUTH330101"},"details":"p. 27","free":""}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[{"text":"Elephanta","id":"x43990"}],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"The Daniells spent the final few months of their Indian tour in Bombay (Mumbai). Here, they met the artist James Wales, and were greatly impressed by his knowledge of the area and by his painterly skills. With Wales as their guide, the Daniells travelled to the nearby temple sites of Elephanta, Salsette and Kanheri. Elephanta had held a particular fascination for western visitors since the 16th century because of its great antiquity. This is a preparatory sketch for an aquatint.","date":{"text":"2008","earliest":"2008-01-01","latest":"2008-12-31"}}],"partNumbers":["IS.152-1984"],"accessionNumberNum":"152","accessionNumberPrefix":"IS","accessionYear":1984,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-09-22","recordCreationDate":"2008-08-12","availableToBook":true}}