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BALAKLAVA

LOOKING TOWARDS

THE SEA

(Plate 3)

Original tinted Lithographic print, by Day & Son,

from The Seat of War in the East (1855),

by William Simpson

Published by Paul & Dominic Colnaghi, Pall Mall, London, 1855

Balaklava Looking Towards the Sea is an original antique lithographed print, produced by the publishers Colnaghi & Co. in 1855. It was one of a series of 79 prints based on the paintings of the Crimean war artist William Simpson that were collected in The Seat of War in the East, published by Colnaghi in 1855. This is Plate number 3. The title of the print and details of the artist, publishers and lithographers are printed in the lower margin: ‘W. Simpson’, ‘Paul & Dominic Colnaghi & Co., 13 & 14 Pall Mall East, Publishers to Her Majesty’, ‘Day & Son, Lithrs. to the Queen’, and ‘Colnaghi's Authentic Series’.

The print shows a view of the port of Balaklava. This is Brackenbury's description of the scene in his Descriptive Sketches Illustrating The First Series of The Seat of War in the East (1855): ‘A couple of tents, part of the encampment, form the foreground, and in front of them some English soldiers are cooking their rations . . . The town is exhibited as it appeared on our first arrival, with the exception that some of the houses present a somewhat dilapidated aspect, having been destroyed by the troops in order to obtain fuel. The bay is crowded with vessels, which, however, are few in comparision to those with which it was subsequently choked. Immediately in front of the ordnance wharf is a large transport vessel, alongside of which Lord Cardigan’s yacht is resting gracefully and airily on the surface of the untroubled water’.

Wiliam Simpson (1823-1899): was commissioned by the publisher John Scott of Colnaghi & Co. travel to the Crimea to produce a series of watercolours and sketches that would eventually go on to become the illustrated portfolio The Seat of War in the East (1855).

Simpson arrived in the Crimea on 15th of November 1854, landing at the port of Balaklava on the Crimean Peninsula. His first assignment was to cover the disastrous Charge of the Light Brigade, despite the event having occurred three weeks before his arrival. The charge had taken place at Balaclava, and Simpson could make sketches from the scene of the battle, but he also relied on descriptions of the battle by those who had witnessed the charge. Simpson consulted with the Light Brigade’s commander, Lord Cardigan, to ensure that his depiction of the charge was accurate. It took several visits to Cardigan’s yacht before his painting was approved. Once Cardigan was satisfied with Simpson's depiction of the official version of events, the work was swiftly dispatched to London. Simpson went on to document a wide range of actions and events during the war, making drawings in the field – sometimes in watercolour and often accompanied by a detailed outline that noted important relevant information. Once completed, his work was then typically vetted by a general, and, if approved, sent to London using the military’s official postal service. From there, the work would be submitted for further vetting, before final approval by Queen Victoria herself. It was only after this long drawn out process that the images would finally be handed to the lithographers, Day & Son, to produce the final work.

Simpson left the Crimea in September 1855, returning to London as a minor celebrity, and becoming known as 'Crimean Simpson'. His collaboration with the publishers Colnaghi & Co, The Seat of the War in the East, which included 79 lithographs, was a major success, with two thousand copies being produced. This publication was to be the high water mark of Lithography - a process that was to be made obsolete by the arrival of photography. The Crimean War was the first to be photographed, and from the mid Victorian era onwards, photographers would replace war artists like Simpson as the chroniclers of all future wars.

Condition:

In good condition. The print is in good condition, with minor wear to the edges and foxing to the margins. There are some foxing marks within the area of the image itself.

Published: 1855
Single sheet, tinted lithographic print
Dimensions: image: 245mm x 350mm, (image plus margins: 355mm x 550mm)

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