This Month’s Antique at Bay View’s Historic Johanna Brotch House: 1802 Engraving by William Daniell

This month’s Antique of the Month from the Historic Johanna Brotch House is an original 1802 engraving of a Hindu Temple Folly Melchet Park on the grounds of Melchet Court, a large country house and estate in Wiltshire, England.

The folly was built in 1800 and was torn down by the middle of the 19th century. Follies were ornamental garden features and often found in the vast landscape gardens of English country houses. They were usually placed on vistas that afforded great views, though sometimes in places of quiet and beauty. Inside there were seating benches for reflection during breaks from long walks. Gardens on country houses were huge and extensive, designed to look like paintings and having periodic features along the walking path like this folly enhanced the experience. I’ve been to many, and all have been astonishingly beautiful.

It was built in 1800 by Melchet Court owner Major John Osborne and had a bust inside of his friend and mentor Warren Hastings, the first governor-general of Bengal, India. Architect Thomas Daniell designed it.

The artist of this engraving was William Daniell, a well-known artist in England. I have six of his original watercolors from his famous “Voyage ‘Round Great Britain” series depicting maritime scenes and I’ll post them here in future newsletter. William Daniell was the nephew of Thomas Daniell who adopted him when he was orphaned at a young age. Thomas taught the young William how to paint, and both were famous landscape painters in Britain.

Melchet Court and Park, the name of the country house and its estate on which this folly once stood, still exists today. It was rebuilt in the late 1800s after a fire. It is now a school and wedding venue.

I hope you enjoy the photos!