Artwork
Sicri Gully
Sicri Gully is a drawing by the Romanticist artist Robert Captain Smith. It dates from 1830 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
Captain Robert Smith’s drawing portrays a tranquil riverbank scene on the Ganges, showing modest boats moored along the shore with figures both on land and in the water. The composition captures a quiet stretch of water framed by trees, offering a snapshot of everyday river life during his early nineteenth‑century voyages between Calcutta and Cawnpore.
Subject & Meaning
The work records the routine activity of river transport, emphasizing the interaction between people and their vessels. Small boats, simple rigging, and the presence of passengers suggest a functional, communal use of the waterway, reflecting the Ganges’s role as a vital artery for trade and travel in colonial India.
Technique & Style
Rendered in fine pencil, the drawing relies on delicate cross‑hatching to model form and suggest depth. Subtle gradations of line create shadow without pigment, while the precise delineation of boat details and human posture demonstrates Smith’s careful observational skill and his preference for economical, yet informative, illustration.
History & Provenance
Created between 1828 and 1833, the sketch is one of sixty‑five mounted pencil illustrations that accompanied Smith’s travel journal. The images were compiled into an unpublished manuscript while he lived in Ireland until 1845. The museum acquired the drawing in 1915 from the collection of W. M. Biden of Hampton‑on‑Thames.
Artist & collection
![Lake Shore, Menaggio [recto], by John Singer Sargent](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/john-singer-sargent--lake-shore-menaggio-recto--2cbfc8ee4d60729d-w320.webp)