Fine pictorial record of Ceylon. Samuel Daniell's Ceylon is the finest pictorial record of the island.

Samuel Daniell (1775-1811), the youngest of the three highly talented Daniell brothers, did not live long enough to realise his full potential. However, he left behind an impressive body of work, including his remarkable views of Ceylon. Daniell arrived in Ceylon in 1805 aboard H.M.S. Greyhound. A protégé of the Governor, Sir Thomas Maitland, he was appointed Secretary to the Board of Revenue and Commerce in 1806. An eccentric character, he proposed sending 'Elephants' petit toes' pickled in strong vinegar and cayenne pepper to Earl Bathurst, Secretary of State, as a delicacy.

Concerning his art, Sutton writes that he was the most inspired and original of the three Daniell brothers and that his illustrations 'are of such clarity and outstanding merit that they are sufficient to give a good idea of what Samuel might have achieved had he enjoyed a longer life.' He writes of the Ceylon volume 'it would be difficult to make a choice of the masterpiece among these plates, but for sheer beauty that of the Spotted Antelope should be singled out for special praise: indeed, it must surely rank among the most lovely aquatints ever published. The superb drawing of the delicate animal, its beautiful colouring, its shy gentleness silhouetted against the brilliant light greens and the deep patches of darker foliage, combine with the composition of the picture to form an exquisite engraving of unforgettable charm. Other lovely plates are those of the Wild Boar, with its magnificent background, and the quiet, almost unearthly beauty of the Distant View of Trincomale.' Sutton posits the theory that the plates were aquatinted by William Daniell in his biography of the Daniells (pp.106-107).

Generally in robust good health, Samuel ranged the jungles of Ceylon for six years, making sketches, but eventually he succumbed to illness and died at the early age of thirty five. This was the age at which his brother, Thomas, set out for India accompanied by William, to produce their masterpiece, Oriental Scenery, and it is impossible to say what Samuel might have achieved if he had lived longer. However, in the work he did produce 'he shows full control of his medium: his freshness of approach is apparent; his composition and colour are full of beauty; his animals are delicately drawn, his figure studies full of life and sincerity and warmth' (Sutton).

First edition; landscape folio (58 x 43 cm approx.), letterpress title and 4 text leaves, 12 plates (11 hand-coloured aquatints and one hand-coloured soft-ground etching), unsigned but probably by William Daniell after Samuel Daniell, printed on Whatman paper watermarked 1801, original blue paper-backed drab wrappers, light wear to spine, modern light calf-backed foldover box, a fine copy.

Abbey (Travel), 410; Bobins 92; De Silva pp 2-23; Sutton (The Daniells Artists and Travellers), pp106-8 & II, p153; Tooley 170.