Untitled (Set of 3 prints of Bombay in Panorama: From Mazagon Hill to the Harbour, 1834–1858)

a) Bombay
1834
Steel engraving on paper
7.2 x 9.7 in (18.3 × 24.7 cm)

Published in Germany in 1834, this engraving offers an early and somewhat fantastical representation of Bombay, drawn from the same vantage point on Mazagon Hill as Thomas Allom’s later prospect. The foreground includes Belvedere bungalow, while the Fort is shown with improbable domes and monumentalised structures, revealing a European imaginative projection onto the colonial city. Such stylised renderings catered to continental audiences eager for exoticised depictions of the Orient, while simultaneously reinforcing Bombay’s rising importance as a mercantile port. The engraving illustrates how Bombay was perceived abroad in the early 19th century: less as an empirically documented cityscape than as an imaginative emblem of imperial expansion and trade.

b) Thomas Allom
Bombay
Published 1858 (after a drawing c.1830)
Steel engraving on paper
6 x 9 in (15.2 x 22.8 cm)

This atmospheric engraving presents a view of Bombay from Mazagon Hill, sketched originally by Thomas Allom in the 1830s and published shortly after the transfer of power from the East India Company to the Crown in 1858. In the foreground, seated figures occupy the steep slope of Mazagon Hill, gazing towards the Fort of Bombay, which is here depicted with exaggerated scale and proximity. The vista encompasses the harbour, outlying settlements, and shipping activity, aligning with Allom’s characteristic topographical romanticism. Published at the threshold of a new political era following the Uprising of 1857, this image of Bombay balances picturesque embellishment with documentary detail, providing a rare visual bridge between the Company’s mercantile dominance and the Crown’s imperial stewardship.

The text under the image reads “Aus der Kunstanst des Bibl. Inst. in Hildburghausen” (From the art institute of the Bibl. Inst. In Hildburghausen) and “Eigenthum der Verleger” (Property of the publisher).

c) Panorama of Bombay (from Sketches made on the Spot)
Wood engraving on paper
13.9 x 9.4 in (35.5 × 24 cm)
Published in The Pictorial Times, 11 January 1845

A rare 270-degree panorama of Bombay published in The Pictorial Times in 1845, this expansive view sweeps from Colaba Island across the eastern shoreline to Elephanta Island in the far distance. The panorama not only captures the breadth of the city’s geographical setting but is accompanied by editorial commentary on the impact of steam navigation, which had dramatically shortened travel times and transformed patterns of global trade. The timing of its publication is significant: The Pictorial Times was a short-lived competitor to The Illustrated London News, closing within five years, making such engravings comparatively scarce. As one of the earliest panoramic depictions of the island city to reach a European readership, the print highlights both the strategic harbour and the emergent role of Bombay as a key imperial entrepôt.

BOMBAY IN PANORAMA: ROMANTIC VISIONS AND IMPERIAL PROSPECTS, 1834–1858

These three panoramic prints spanning two decades present Bombay as both a romantic ideal and an imperial port. With sweeping vistas from Mazagon Hill and an expansive harbour panorama, they reflect European imaginings of the city at the dawn of steam navigation and the transition from Company to Crown rule.

(Set of three)

This work will be shipped unframed.

NON-EXPORTABLE

This lot is offered at NO RESERVE

This lot will be shipped in "as is" condition. For further details, please refer to the images of individual lots as reference for the condition of each print.