Women, Environment, and Networks of Empire: Elizabeth Gwillim and Mary Symonds in Madras

Elizabeth Gwillim (1763–1807) and her sister Mary Symonds (1772–1854) produced over two hundred watercolours depicting birds, fish, flowers, people, and landscapes around Madras (now Chennai). Their paintings document the rapidly expanding colonial city and its population, as well as the natural environment and wildlife. Women, Environment, and Networks of Empire explores natural history, the changing environment, colonialism, and womens lives at the turn of the nineteenth century through the paintings and writings of Elizabeth Gwillim and Mary Symonds.

Format: Hardback
Length: 392 pages
Publication date: 30 November 2023
Publisher: McGill-Queen's University Press

Elizabeth Gwillim (1763–1807) and her sister Mary Symonds (1772–1854) were two talented artists who created over two hundred watercolors depicting a wide range of subjects, including birds, fish, flowers, people, and landscapes around Madras (now Chennai). Their extensive correspondence, spanning four large volumes in the British Library, provides a rich insight into their lives and work. The sisters' artwork is housed in the Blacker Wood Natural History Collection of McGill University Library in Canada and the South Asia Collection in Britain.

The first book about their remarkable journey, titled Women, Environment, and Networks of Empire, delves into the profound revelations these materials offer about nature, society, and the environment in early nineteenth-century South India.

In 1801, Gwillim and Symonds embarked on their journey to India, following the appointment of Elizabeth's husband, Henry Gwillim, to the Supreme Court of Madras. Their paintings serve as a captivating documentation of the rapidly expanding colonial city of Madras and its bustling population, as well as the natural beauty and diversity of the surrounding environment. Gwillim's paintings of birds are particularly noteworthy for their exquisite detail, naturalism, and accuracy.

The sisters drew upon the expertise of Indian bird-catchers, fishermen, physicians, artists, and translators to enrich their studies in natural history. Their collaboration resulted in a unique fusion of European and Asian natural knowledge, contributing to a broader understanding of the natural world. Through their extensive correspondence, Gwillim and Symonds demonstrated how women played a vital role in shaping networks of trade and scholarship. They exchanged plants, books, textiles, and foods, fostering connections and collaborations that extended beyond borders.

In Women, Environment, and Networks of Empire, an interdisciplinary group of scholars utilizes the paintings and writings of Elizabeth Gwillim and Mary Symonds to explore a wide range of topics. Through their meticulous analysis, they shed light on natural history, the changing environment, colonialism, and the lives of women during the turn of the nineteenth century. The sisters' artistic legacy continues to inspire and captivate audiences, offering a valuable window into the past and the remarkable contributions of women artists and scholars.

Dimension: 254 x 191 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780228018865