Musical Instruments of North India: Eighteenth Century Potraits by Baltazard Solvyns

The Flemish artist Baltazard Solvyns, residing in Calcutta from 1791 until 1804, produced a remarkable series of etchings depicting the people and culture he observed. First published in Calcutta in 1796 and 1799, and then in a four volume edition, Les Hindou’s published in Paris, 1808-12, the etchings include portrayals of 36 musical instruments as well as prints of the nautch and a Hindu "dancing girl". These etchings represent, in most instances, the first illustrations of the instruments and the manner in which they are played. Hardgrave and Slawek here reproduce these prints, together with Solvyns’s descriptive text, and their own commentary for each plate.