Beschreibung:

Company School. An Album of 85 Indian mica paintings, possibly by Simon Fonceca, Madras, circa 1852, 85 mica paintings tipped into an album, depicting soldiers, street vendors and performers, male and female costume, shrines, elephants and camels, processions of figures and animals, a British gentleman being carried in a palanquin, a larger view of an Indian naval vessel, carts, oxen, etc., many single-figure images measuring 10 x 6.5 cm, larger images 11 x 16 cm or similar, a few images with slight cracking and chipping, and occasional small paint loss (as usual), the majority tipped-in without adhesive to pierced album leaves, with two printed title wrappers (each trimmed to margins with slight loss) for 'Sketches In Indiia chiefly from nature by Simon Fonseca, portrait painter, &c. 123 Armenian Street Madras' (marked No.4 and No.6 at head of each, the latter dated in brown ink at foot 1852), loosely inserted at front of album, near-contemporary half morocco, lacking spine, with upper board detached, tape repairs, worn, 4to (30 x 25 cm) (Quantity: 1) Attractive collection of Indian scenes, apparently by the Portuguese ex-patriate artist Simon Fonceca (1805-1870, who lived and worked in Madras. The two title sheets inserted in this album suggest he was producing images like these in the 1850's. Each title sheet is inscribed in ink to verso, in a contemporary hand '10 Processions, Trades &ct' and '8 Natives & Eastern Conveyances', and are initialled to corner J.R.H. (perhaps the original agent or owner).