Hand-coloured aquatint, engraved by John Harris (1811-1865) after Henry Martens. 26.5 x 21.25 ins.

A rare individually published aquatint with fine original hand-colour and margins.

It is believed that a total of twelve prints in this series of graphic battle scenes from the Sikh Wars were published over a period of years. A group of four appeared on the market in the mid 1990s. Subsequently, individual prints have turned up periodically but with increasing irregularity. We are unaware that any have come on the market in the past five years.

The inscription under the print is as follows: Charge of the 3rd King’s Own Lt. [Light] Dragoons at the Battle of Chillianwallah, Jan 13th 1849.

To Major General Sir Joseph Thackwell K.C.B. and the Officers of Cavalry engaged.

This print is most respectfully dedicated by their obliged and obedient servant Rudolph Ackermann 191 Regent Street.

Bodies of Sikh Cavalry made demonstrations on our left, Genl. Thackwell directed a squadron of the 3rd Lt. Dragoons to charge them, who willingly obeyed the order and under their gallant leader, Capt. Unett dashed through the Sikh wedge. Intense was our anxiety about the 3rd squadron but at length they cut their way back and emerged covered with glory. Two officers of this squadron were wounded, the gallant Unett and Stisted and the loss among the men amounted to 46 killed and wounded.

Painted by Hy. Martens.

The military historian, Peter Harrington, has this to say re Rudolph Ackermann and his prints of the Anglo-Saxon Wars: "In June [1846], Astley’s Royal Ampitheatre staged a new ‘Asiatic’ drama founded on the recent victories in India entitled 'The Sikh’s Invasion; or, our Victories of 1846'. Rudolph Ackermann, printseller and owner of the Eclipse Gallery at 191 Regent Street, and fresh from his recent success selling prints of British and Indian Army uniforms after paintings by Henry de Daubrawa and Henry Martens, announced in March 1847 that a coloured print of the battle of Ferozeshah, representing the charge of the 3rd Light Dragoons upon the Sikhs, had been published. It sold for 15s. [shillings] each, and within a few weeks the company had issued prints of the 16th Lancers at Aliwal, priced at a guinea [one pound and one shilling], and a second picture of Ferozeshah representing the infantry battle. At the beginning of 1848, the company published a print of The Battle of Sobraon, also costing one guinea, and announced that they were preparing other scenes of the war. All were based on sketches by Major George Francis White [1808-1898] of the 31st Regiment and painted by Henry Martens who was establishing a reputation as a military artist, having painted water-colours of military scenes regularly at the British Institution and Society of British Artists since 1829. He went on to publish several more Sikh War scenes for Ackermann, all of which were lithographed". Peter Harrington, British Artists and War. The Face of Battle in Paintings and Prints, 1700 – 1914. Greenhill Books, London 1993.

George Bruce, Six Battles for India (The Anglo-Sikh Wars: 1845-6, 1848-9) , Arthur Baker Ltd., London 1969. Illustrated between pages 272 and 273.

Vertical surface indent within the lettered panel area. It seems that there has been previous cleaning to reduce spotting, evidenced by brush marks in the sky; however the hand-colour remains strong. As is usually the case for this series of prints by Ackermann, it has been laid down on card for strengthening.