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India House

Thomas Rowlandson (English, 1756–1827)
Augustus Charles Pugin (English, 1769–1832)
Engraved by: Joseph Constantine Stadler (English (born in Germany), active 1780–1822)

Medium/Technique Etching and aquatint with hand-applied watercolor
Credit Line Gift of Mrs. Susan D. McKelvey
Accession Number39.315
NOT ON VIEW
ClassificationsPrints

India House was the nexus of British imperial power. It was the home base of the East India Company, which was not a government agency, but a private joint-stock company that ruled Britain’s colonies in South Asia. Here, in the company’s London salesroom, the riches that came from Asian trade made their way into Britain’s economy. There seems to be aggressive bidding today, and the clerk at right is looking carefully to make sure that each bid is correctly recorded.

Descriptionfrom "The Microcosm of London"
R. Ackermann's Repository of Arts, London, 1808-1810
Marks Watermark: JWHATMAN/1808
bottom center of sheet
ProvenanceMrs. Susan D. McKelvey, Boston, MA by whom given to MFA 2/9/1939