Hurlingham Fine Arts

Description

A rare ink, pencil and watercolour view drawn from the verandah of Suffolk House, Penang, by James Wathen 1811.
Inscribed on front of mount 'Kelso, of scenery around it, taken from the Veranda at Suffolk House, 2m. fm. Pulo Penang.'
A further inscription on the reverse reads, 'Scenery in Pulo Penang, 2 miles from George Town, called the Highlands of Scotland, built upon, & so named by Mr Scott, who is denominated the Father of the Island. He also built pleasure Seats in Killicrankie & Kelso.'
James Scott (1746-1808) was a trading partner of Captain Francis Light in Penang. When Light died in 1794, Scott acquired Light's Estate, making him the largest landowner in Penang.


James Wathen (1751-1828) was one of the first travel artists to visit Asia and the Far East. His journey is well documented in the ' Journal of a Voyage, in 1811 and 1812, to Madras and China returning by the Cape of Good Hope and St.Helena in the H.C.S. The Hope, Capt. James Pendergrass. by James Wathen.' It was illustrated with twenty-four coloured prints which were taken from the original drawings by Wathen.

Several of Wathen's watercolour drawings of Penang can be found in the Penang Museum, George Town, Penang, and the Museum of Asian Art, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Illustrations of these were reproduced in 'Penang Views 1770-1860' by author, Lim Chong Keat, first published in 1986.
Plate 19 illustrates a watercolour view of Suffolk House by Wathen 1811, now in the collection of the Museum of Asian Art, Kuala Lumpur. Wathen was invited to Suffolk House, the residence of the Acting-Governor, W.E.Phillips. He described the house as 'a very splendid mansion, built in a mixed style of English and Indian architecture.'


Provenance: Ex. Iolo Williams Collection, where incorrectly attributed to Thomas Sunderland (1744-1828)