{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O73399"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O73399/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AH4513/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AH4513/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AH4513","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O73399/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O73399","accessionNumber":"1160-1869","objectType":"Painting","titles":[{"title":"Bridge of ropes on the Sutlej","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"William Simpson (1823 - 1899) was a distinguished watercolourist and war artist. Having established his reputation by documenting the Crimean war in 1854, Day and Sons, the London lithography firm, commissioned him to sketch well-known sites in and around Delhi associated with the Revolt of 1857 by Indians against the rule of the British East India Company. \r\n\r\nSimpson arrived in Calcutta (Kolkata) in 1859 and travelled widely. His rapid pencil drawings formed the preparatory studies for his finished watercolours done after his return to London in 1862. His detailed journal, sketches and pictures from India resulted in these highly coloured, evocative, and romantic interpretations of the landscape and architecture.\r\n\r\nDuring Simpson's first Himalayan tour he travelled to Chini, 10,000 feet above the Sutlej valley. The journey involved crossing the Sutlej River by a rope bridge. The precarious nature of the bridge and the fierce current of the river instilled both curiosity and fear in the Europeans who saw it. Simpson captures the drama of the scene, with one figure hanging on the bridge and the awe-inspiring mountains in the background.","physicalDescription":"Bridge of ropes on the Sutlej. One man is crossing the bridge while others on the bankside pull  him across. Grand mountains in the background.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Simpson, William","id":"A2392"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"AAT251917"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"watercolour","id":"x33202"}],"techniques":[{"text":"painting","id":"x30598"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Watercolour on paper","categories":[{"text":"Paintings","id":"THES48917"},{"text":"Landscapes","id":"THES250800"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"SSEA","id":"THES48598"},"images":["2006AH4513"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"006","id":"THES403505"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Painting","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"India","id":"x29790"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1860","earliest":"1860-01-01","latest":"1860-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Purchased from Messrs Day and Son Ltd (London) in 1869","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"25.3","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"35.3","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"signed 'W.Simpson'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""}],"objectHistory":"Historical significance: William Simpson (1823 - 1899)\r\n\r\nWilliam Simpson was commissioned to go to India by his employers, Day and Sons, the London lithography firm. Having established his reputation by documenting the Crimean war in 1854, he was instructed to sketch well-known sites in and around Delhi associated with the heavy fighting of 1857.\r\n\r\nSimpson arrived in Calcutta (Kolkata) in 1859 and travelled widely. His rapid pencil drawings formed the preparatory studies for his finished watercolours which were done after his return to London in 1862. His fond memories of India, as noted in his journal, resulted in these highly coloured, evocative and romantic interpretations of the Indian landscape.\r\n\r\nSimpson, a largely self-taught artist from a poor family in Scotland, had hoped to achieve fame on the publication of his paintings in a lavishly illustrated volume. Unfortunately, financial problems led to the poorly printed India Ancient and Modern containing only fifty images. Simpson called it the ‘big disaster’ of his life. \r\n\r\nThe V&A has the single most important collection of watercolours made during Simpson's first expedition to India.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Painting of a rope bridge across the river Sutlej, near Chini, Himalayas, William Simpson, India, 1860.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"Rohatgi P. and Parlett G., assisted by Imray S. and Godrej P. <u>Indian Life and Landscape by Western Artists: Paintings and Drawings from the Victoria and Albert Museum, 17th to the early 20th century</u>. Published by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, Mumbai, in association with V&A, London, 2008. ISBN 81-901020-9-5.","id":"AUTH329675"},"details":"p. 299, pl. 10","free":"Registered File number RF/1869/6716"},{"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. 69","free":""}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"bridge","id":"AAT7836"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"During Simpson's first Himalayan tour he travelled to Chini, 10,000 feet above the Sutlej valley. The journey involved crossing the Sutlej River by a rope bridge. The precarious nature of the bridge and the fierce current of the river instilled both curiosity and fear in the Europeans who saw it. Simpson captures the drama of the scene, with one figure hanging on the bridge and the awe-inspiring mountains in the background.","date":{"text":"1/12/2008","earliest":"2008-12-01","latest":"2008-12-01"}}],"partNumbers":["1160-1869"],"accessionNumberNum":"1160","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1869,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-24","recordCreationDate":"2003-01-24","availableToBook":true}}