British scientists supervised the work and paper from England, made by companies such as Whatman, was imported for use.

The East India Company relied on Indian practitioners to help treat its officials as often the diseases they contracted had not been encountered before and western medicine proved ineffective. It also saw opportunity to export the plants used in medicine, and for food, dyes and timber, for huge profit exploiting India’s traditional knowledge systems and natural resources.

Responding to British patronage, Indian artists developed a new style of painting, mixing Indian and European traditions. This has come to be known as the ‘Company School’ art and these paintings belong to that broad tradition. It was common for officials (who were not employed as medics or botanists) to build their own personal collections of paintings. The flora and fauna depicted was sometimes from their own gardens and menageries.
 
We cannot be sure how Richard Cresswell came by this collection of Company School works. It is plausible they came to him via his wife’s family. Frances Creighton (1821-1904) was born in Bengal where her father, Robert (1797-1827), was a judge. Research suggests that his father was Henry Creighton (1764-1807).  Charles Grant, a senior Company official, appointed Henry manager of an indigo factory at Guamalati. He is best known for his research and paintings on the ruins at Gaur. It is possible Henry commissioned the botanical drawings and they were passed down through the family. However, research has not yet uncovered any evidence for this connection.
 
17 of the 86 works have attributions on the reverse. These three artists, Sheikh Zain al-din, Ram Das and Bhawani Das, are known to have worked for Lady Mary Impey, wife of Sir Elijah Impey the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Calcutta. There is also evidence that they worked for Anna Maria Jones, the wife Sir William Jones, after the Impeys returned to Britain.


This object is not on display.

Inscription

lower right stamp HERB. MUS. EXON CRESSWELL COLLECTION 19/1927

lower left handwritten in black & sepia inks entitled Siphonanthus indica = Clerodendon Siphonanthus R Br

lower left handwritten in ink number No 24

back handwritten in ink Bengali and English Bhubanidys