Magnificent copies of Samuel Daniell's Ceylon and African Scenery, his two masterworks, combined in a fine contemporary binding.

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, amongst which, his views of Ceylon rate very highly.

A protege of the Governor, Sir Thomas Maitland, Daniell arrived in Ceylon in 1805 aboard H.M.S. Greyhound and 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.'

Samuel sent his sketches to his brother, William, for aquatinting. These aquatint plates were superbly executed and are examples of William's very best work.

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).

Daniell's African Scenery is regarded as the scarcest and most valuable of the large folio atlases of South African illustrations. Daniell arrived at the Cape on 9th December 1799. He was appointed by Lieut.-General Dundas, who became his patron there, and to whom the first volume is dedicated, to act as secretary to a mission to the Booshuanas. The expedition eventually reached Lataku, at that time the limit of European exploration, and was the source for Daniell of the drawings for the present plates. 'The African Scenery... is comparable in skill and execution to the Oriental Scenery. The coloured plates represent local scenery, animals singly or in groups in their natural surroundings, native types, and views of kraals. It may safely be said that never before had drawings of animals been presented so beautifully in their natural scenery... [other plates] are valuable records of early itinerant life in South Africa' (Sutton).

First edition of 'Ceylon', second edition of 'African Scenery'; large folio (66.5 x 48 cm), Ceylon: title, 4 leaves of descriptive text, 12 plates of which 11 are hand-coloured aquatints and one a soft-ground hand-coloured etching, by William Daniell after Samuel Daniell, printed on Whatman paper watermarked 1811. 'African Scenery': 2 parts in one voll, 2 aquatint dedicatory section titles with a light sepia wash on thick paper, 10 leaves of letterpress text, 30 fine hand-coloured aquatints, both works with original tissue guards, contemporary green half morocco gilt, covres lightly sunned, a fine example.

'Ceylon': Abbey (Travel), 410; De Silva pp 2-23; Martin Hardie pp133-4; Prideaux p245 & p333; Sutton, 2; Tooley 170. 'African Scenery': Abbey (Travel) 321; Gay 3136; Hardie 133; Mendelssohn I, 411-12; Prideaux 245; Sutton 1A; Tooley 169.