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CALCUTTA SURVEYED: BAILLIE’S AQUATINT VIEWS OF FORT WILLIAM AND COLONIAL INFRASTRUCTURE, 1794

These rare hand-coloured aquatints by William Baillie, a British amateur artist and officer in the Bengal establishment, form part of his important 1794 portfolio, Twelve Views of Calcutta. Executed with exceptional detail and subtlety, they document the architectural and civic development of Calcutta at the close of the 18th... CALCUTTA SURVEYED: BAILLIE’S AQUATINT VIEWS OF FORT WILLIAM AND COLONIAL INFRASTRUCTURE, 1794

These rare hand-coloured aquatints by William Baillie, a British amateur artist and officer in the Bengal establishment, form part of his important 1794 portfolio, Twelve Views of Calcutta. Executed with exceptional detail and subtlety, they document the architectural and civic development of Calcutta at the close of the 18th century, capturing its transformation into the capital of British India.

Baillie was among the earliest Europeans to engrave and publish his own work in India. His Calcutta views are stylistically distinct from the later Daniells, focusing not on exoticism but on administrative infrastructure, fortifications, and civic order. They offer invaluable topographical insight into Fort William, the military orphanage, and the glacis plains surrounding the city’s colonial core.

North View of the Water Gate and Royal Barracks, Fort William
This view depicts the formidable defensive architecture of the second Fort William (constructed 1758–1781), built after the Battle of Plassey, which became the military and administrative centre of British power in Bengal. The Water Gate, seen to the left, served as a crucial access point from the Hooghly River, facilitating supplies and communication. The Royal Barracks dominate the middle distance, their neoclassical symmetry conveying imperial order and military strength. Baillie’s use of delicate aquatint tones highlights the severity of the fortifications juxtaposed with a tranquil moat, rendering a scene both imposing and serene.

North East View of the Military Orphan House, near Calcutta for the Children of Officers
The Military Orphan House, established in 1782 by Governor-General Warren Hastings, was an early institutional initiative by the East India Company to provide care and education to the children of European officers who had died in service. Baillie’s depiction of the stately Palladian structure nestled within expansive grounds reflects Enlightenment ideals of rationality, benevolence, and order. The architectural regularity and shaded lawn evoke a serene sense of guardianship and imperial paternalism. This print is a rare documentation of the social infrastructure that underpinned colonial governance in Bengal.

South View of Calcutta, Taken from the Glacis of Fort William
This panoramic view of southern Calcutta, taken from the raised earthworks or glacis of Fort William, presents an expansive civic landscape beyond the military foreground. The low skyline of 18th-century Calcutta is visible in the distance, interspersed with church spires and mercantile rooftops. The foreground, dominated by the moat and bastions of the fort, underscores the dual nature of colonial Calcutta as both a fortified stronghold and a growing urban settlement. Baillie’s perspective blends topographical accuracy with artistic restraint, offering a meditative outlook on the city’s expanding British presence.

Together, these prints represent a rare, first-hand visual archive of 18th-century Calcutta—a city shaped by trade, governance, and imperial assertion.

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