KASHMIR WATER COLOURS OF MAJOR EDWARD JOSEPH MOLYNEUX

                                                                            

                                           ( A  BAZAAR SCENE IN SRINAGAR )

                                              ( BAR BAR SHAH BRIDGE  SRINAGAR )

                                                  ( SHAH HAMDAAN MOSQUE SRINAGAR )

                                                         ( MAAR CANAL SRINAGAR )

                                      ( NISHAT  GARDEN SRINAGAR )

                                            ( FROZEN GANGBAL LAKE KASHMIR )

                       ( A TEMPLE ON RIVER BANK IN SRINAGAR )

                                                   ( KAATHI DARWAZA SRINAGAR )

                                                ( MARTAND SUN TEMPLE RUINS )

                                                         ( DAL LAKE SRINAGAR )

                                                        ( RAINAWARI BRIDGE SRINAGAR  )

                                           ( RESIDENCY ROAD  AND BUND NEAR JHELUM RIVER )

     

                                         ( RIVER BANK SCENE SRINAGAR )

                                                             ( SHESH NAAG LAKE )

                                              (  SINDH VALLEY )

                                  ( CHINAR BAGH TEMPLE ALSO KNOWN AS DHARM DASS TEMPLE  )

KASHMIR  WATER COLOURS OF MAJ.EDWARD JOSEPH MOLYNEUX (1866-1913)

The above water colours have been done by Major Edward Joseph Molyneux( 1866 -1913 . He traveled with Francis Younghusband in Himlayas and painted some fine water colours of Kashmir valley. The paintings were published in a book titled  “EDWARD KASHMIR “ accompanied by descriptions of the Valley by Francis Younghusband.

Molyneux was from UK. His nephew Capt. Molyneux (1891-1974) was also a renowned Artist , Art collector and Fashion Designer who designed clothes for Royals in Europe that include Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent. He was also a favorite with trendsetting actresses like Greta Garbo, Marlene Dietrich, Gertrude Lawrence, Margaret Leighton, and Vivien Leigh.

"The country with which one is most apt to compare it is, naturally, Switzerland. But there is no place where one can see a complete circle of snowy mountains surrounding a plain of anything like the length and breadth of the Kashmir valley, for the main valleys of Switzerland are like the side valleys of Kashmir. The great broad reaches in the river, glistening in the sunlight and fringed with the rich autumnal foliage, were superlatively beautiful."

From the book “Kashmir - Sir Younghusband & Major Molyneux ”

.

I quote the Forward of the book

“ When Major Molyneux asked me to combine with him in the production of a book on Kashmir I could not resist the temptation to describe what he had so faithfully depicted, though my official duties naturally leave me insufficient time to do real justice to the theme. I have not been able to write with the completeness that I should have wished; and I am aware of many sins of omission. I can only hope that when the description fails the reader will be fortunate to have his attention irresistibly diverted to one or other of my collaborator's beautiful pictures.”

The Residency, Srinagar,

September 1908

And for the water colour Artists of today I quote a couplet of Ghalib …

“Rekhtey ke tumhi ustaad nahin ho "Ghalib "

Kehtey hain agley zamane mai koyee Mir bhi thaa.....

( Autar Mota )

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