McGill Library
McLennan Library Building3459 rue McTavish
Montreal, Quebec
H3A 0C9
Serranus horridus
Item
1 painting : watercolour on wove painting ; 31 x 25 cm
Mary Symonds was born in 1772 in Hereford, England, and is known as an artist and letter-writer. In 1801, she accompanied her older sister, Lady Elizabeth Gwillim, the bird artist, and Elizabeth's husband, Sir Henry Gwillim, to India (modern-day Chennai). Both sisters wrote home often about their activities, with vivid descriptions of daily life in India, as well as commentary on Indian culture. Mary particularly enjoyed the many social invitations of British life in Madras during the Company Raj. Like her sister, Mary also painted and some of her works, including those of fish, are part of the works donated by Casey A. Wood to the Blacker Wood Collection at McGill’s Rare Book Library. After her sister died in 1807, Mary and her brother-in-law sailed back to England. In 1809 Mary married John Ramsden, captain of the ship on which she had returned from India.
Painting showing a side view of grey fish with pale coral accents and dark grey dots over body; blue wash underneath. Inscriptions on mat read, "Serranus horridus" and "Chǎpkilwan."
Purchased in London in 1924 by Casey A. Wood as part of a collection of watercolours and donated to the Blacker-Wood Library of Zoology and Ornithology.
Inscriptions on drawing: a small number "23" (pencil) and another inscription in Tamil written in Urdu script (ink).