Renowned for his Orientalist artworks capturing the landscapes of India, exemplified by the two watercolour landscapes in this collection, Thomas Daniell dedicated a significant portion of his artistic career to documenting the topography, architecture, nature, and people of colonial India

Born to an innkeeper in Surrey, England, in 1749, Daniell initially pursued painting at the Royal Academy in London after undertaking various odd jobs like bricklaying and coach painting Despite exhibiting 30 works at the academy between 1772 and 1784, he faced challenges establishing himself as a landscape painter in Britain In 1784, inspired by tales of India's wealth and the allure of portraying its exoticism, particularly following the footsteps of landscapist William Hodges, Daniell obtained permission from the East India Company to travel to Calcutta as an engraver, accompanied by his nephew William as an assistant

The Daniells arrived in India in 1785, embarking on a decade-long journey during which they extensively explored and depicted landscapes, people, customs, architecture, ruins, flora, and fauna Their travels spanned the Himalayas, the Ganges River, the mountains and jungles of the south, as well as the Presidency cities of Calcutta and Madras

Upon their return to England, the Daniells translated their accumulated sketches into aquatints, resulting in a collection of 140 prints published in six volumes from 1795 to 1808, collectively known as "Oriental Scenery," which achieved significant success They also published aquatints focused on Calcutta, titled "Views of Calcutta"