INDIAN SKETCHES - CROSSING A NULLAH - VISCOUNT SYDNEY 1872 VICTORIAN ENGRAVINGS

Original 11 7/8 inch x 8 7/8 inch Engraving titled INDIAN SKETCHES - HUMAN TIGERS AT THE MOHURRUM FESTIVAL.

Human tiger is a famous and now-dying folk tradition of Nagpur. This was in vogue till 1974–75 and involved skin painting of strong statured men with tiger-like colours and the dance of these men in the open during various festivals like Ganpati and Moharram.

Illustration by Edward John Gregory (1850 - 1909). Born in Southampton, Gregory entered the drawing office of the P & O Steamship Co., but decided to become an artist and came to London in 1869. Having studied at the Royal College of Art and at the Royal Academy Schools, he worked as an illustrator for The Graphic (1871-5), and exhibited his paintings at the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours, the New Watercolour Society, the Grosvenor Gallery and the Royal Academy. His most famous work is Boulter's Lock: Sunday Afternoon (1898), which secured his election as Royal Academician.

From The Graphic February 24th, 1872
The Graphic was a British weekly illustrated newspaper, first published on 4 December 1869 by William Luson Thomas's company Illustrated Newspapers Limited. It continued to be published weekly under this title until 23 April 1932 and then changed title to The National Graphic between 28 April and 14 July 1932; it then ceased publication, after 3,266 issues.

Page size 15 1/2 inch x 11 1/2 inch

The engraving is in very good condition. Printed text on the reverse.