Kolkata through colonial eyes

British landscape artists came to Calcutta (Kolkata) in the 18th and 19th centuries seeking adventure and their fortunes. Many were in the employ of the East India Company and painted as a hobby documenting in detail all they experienced and saw; others came as traders and set up businesses in the new settlement developed by the British. Often extolled to be the "City of Palaces," Calcutta grew from three villages into a many splendoured settlement. The exhibition "Kolkata Through Colonial Eyes" at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, depicts various facets of British life in Calcutta, its architectural development, and its vibrant culture in the 18th and 19th centuries. The flavours of Calcutta of yesteryears are etched in the Palladian architectural details by Thomas Daniell and James Baillie Fraser; splendourous city vistas by William Wood Junior and Frederick Fiebig; as well as works by Sir Charles D'Oyly which bring alive the people, life, and synergy of the European settlement with the original inhabitants living in Calcutta.