Martaban and ‘Crow Island’, from our house, Moulmein

This painting by Thomas Worlich Stansfeld, an amateur painter who worked his way up to the rank of Colonel in the Madras Staff corps. The painting is one of a pair of views, showing landscapes from colonial India and Burma. In this painting, the artist is looking out at the landscape from his house in Moulmein, Burma. The subtle presence of the fence in the bottom-right corner suggests the idea of the ordering and domestication of the landscape. While the view contains some "exotic" details - such as the stupas on the far shore - the artist has concentrated more on evocating a picturesque atmosphere.