Frans Balthazar Solvyns or François Balt(h)azar(d)[1][2][3] (6 July 1760 – 10 October 1824) was a Flemish marine painter, printmaker and ethnographer. While living and working in India from 1791 to 1803, he made many drawings of the daily lives of the Indians which he later etched and published.[4] He is, along with Thomas Daniell, considered one of the early pioneers in the field of print-making in India.[5][6]
His collection of etchings provide a portrait of Calcutta's 18th century history, and the people and customs of Bengal. His encyclopaedic and systematic approach made him a pioneer of the systematic ethnography of the Indian population. His work had an important influence on 19th century Indian painting.[6][7]
- ^ Birth name; Franciscus Balthazar Solvyns, also known as: Frans Balthazar Solvijns and Balthazar Solvijns
- ^ Frans Balthazar Solvyns at the Netherlands Institute for Art History
- ^ Peeters-Van Genechten, Jaerboek der vermaerde en kunstryke Gilde van Sint Lucas binnen de stad Antwerpen, P. th. Moons-Van der Straelen, 1855, pp. 316-317 (in Dutch)
- ^ Jan Vandersmissen, SOLVYNS (François Balthazar) at the Royal Academy for Overseas Sciences (in Dutch)
- ^ "Robert L. Hardgrave, Jr., Baltazard Solvyns in Calcutta - 1791-1804". Laits.utexas.edu. Retrieved 2012-02-10.
- ^ a b "SOLVYNS, Baltazar - Les Hindous - p.140-141" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-02-10.
- ^ The Solvyns Project - Robert L. Hardgrave, Jr. - The University of Texas at Austin