One of the first views of Singapore by a professional artist

A scarce prospect of Singapore from inland, looking down on the town and harbour with the multitude of trading ships at anchor. It was drawn and etched by William Daniell for ''Memoir of the Life and Public Services of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles'', written by his widow Sophia. Raffles (1781-1826) became Lieutenant-Governor of the Dutch East Indies when the British took the Dutch colonies during the Napoleonic Wars. When they were returned to Holland at the end of the war, Raffles realised Britain needed a presence in the area and negotiated the founding of modern Singapore as a British colony. William Daniell (1769-1837), artist and printmaker, travelled in Asia between 1786 and 1794, making two trips to Java.