Large Deodar Tree. Kunawer, Himalays

British journalist-artist William Simpson’s primary reputation rests on his excellent war illustrations on important military campaigns of the nineteenth century, which, however, does not do complete justice to his brilliance as a watercolourist. This luminous snapshot of a Deodar tree—or Himalayan cedar—proves Simpson to be a skilled artist with an excellent eye for detail. On his second visit to India in 1875-76, Simpson captured radiant snapshots of the subcontinent’s varied geography, creating a comprehensive compendium of his travels that was published upon his return to England.