Thomas Daniell, R.A.

This very rare view of Muscat habour, which includes the Al-Jalali fort, was drawn on 6 June 1793, two days after Thomas and William Daniell's arrival. They had travelled from Bombay after seven years living and working in India, and they had intended to travel on, overland, to London. However, while in Muscat, word was received that war had broken out between England and France and the artists were forced to abandon that plan. Instead they returned to Bombay and eventually sailed from China, along with Lord Macartney’s ambassadorial fleet, to England. They were back in London by September 1794.

A drawing by Thomas Daniell entitled The Entrance to Muscat Harbour was sold at Christie’s on 1 March 1977, lot 135, while a watercolour by William Daniell, entitled East View of the The Forts Jellali and Merani, Muscat, is held in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.¹ Both Thomas and William were later to exhibit oils of Muscat habour at the Royal Academy.⁽²⁾

1. Victoria and Albert Museum, London, acc. no. SD.296

2. Thomas Daniell, 1806 (no. 23) and 1814 (no. 311). William Daniell, 1836 (no. 97)