Water-colour painting of a gateway in the town of Amreli in Kathiawar by John Frederick Lester (1825-1915), 24 February 1869. This image is from an album of 30 watercolours made between 1865 and 1877 in Kathiawar, Bombay, Poona, Mahabaleshwar and Savantvadi State. The album cover is lettered in gold with the word: 'Sketches' and inscribed inside cover: 'J.F. Lester'.
The ancient walled town of Amreli is situated on the Kathiawar peninsula in Gujarat state, west-central India. Upon this site are the ruins of two temples at the fork of the Thebi and Vari rivers. Old coins dug up from the river bed from the time of the Kshatrapa dynasty, the Sultans of Gujarat and the Indo-Sassarian period testify to the town’s former importance. Modern Amreli dates from 1793 when Vakhatsingh of Bhavnagar sacked the neighbouring Kathi possession of Chital and drove many of its people to Amreli and Jetpur. Extensions and improvements to the town were brought about by Vithatrav Devaji who was Sar Subah of Kathiawar from 1810 to 1815; he built temples, offices, a market and a dam to provide water for the town.
I am trying to find out some biographical information on this Artist Lester, John Frederick but without any luck. Does anyone know any good sources of information for this Artist?
ReplyDeleteI don't know any good sources but I have lots of his artwork. Based on his notes and sketchbooks he was in India for at least 20 years where he was Major General Lester. He travelled around Europe in particular Italy (Rome, Lake Como) and then it seems that he retired to the UK.
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