Various sizes, approximately 280 x 230 mm. Minor marginal tears, away from image, light spotting and foxing mostly to margins, else in excellent condition.

As far as we are able to tell this collection as a group represents one of the largest groups of known works of art from turn-of-the-19th-century Colombian artists Jose Pio Dominguez del Castillo and Jose Santiago del Castillo.

This collection is an important incorporation to the corpus of known watercolors of Colombia from the first decades of the Republic, and an even larger representation of the corpus of known works by two reputable Colombian artists of the period.

Little is known of the life of Jose Santiago Castillo, however some of his works are preserved at the Museo de la Independencia, including a watercolor of the market of the Plaza Mayor of Bogota, in 1837, same date as the execution of our watercolors, and others in 1840, also at the same museum.

Jose Pio Dominguez del Castillo (1780-1861) was a Colombian military officer active during the Revolutionary war, however it is his activity as a painter that interest us, he is the author of a number of miniatures, some of which today are housed at the National Museum of Colombia, all of which depict important personalities of the time; it is worth noting that we have yet been unable to locate watercolors of an iconographic nature such as these known in institutions.

There is no hint at whom the collection was owned by, except for a bookplate of William Jeanes Wallis, of whom no details are known, however, the last name Wallis does appear in Colombian characters at the time, for instance Rafaela Wallis Caldas (daughter of George Wallis and Baltazara Caldas, sister of the Colombian scientist and revolutionary), perhaps related.

Main list of watercolors:

- An “Orejon” or Farmer of the Plain of Bogota. Signed Jose S. Castillo and dated 1837; with another watercolor pasted on verso, untitled but presumably by the same hand, an elderly rather better dressed woman hands a cup(?) to a finely dressed man in an unidentified colonial city, presumably Bogota.

- “Calentano” going to market. Signed by J.S.C., Jose S. Castillo, and dated 1837, it shows a farmer driving a mule and cow to a market, both carrying bags; this view, like another one by Castillo, has another watercolor on verso, untitled, which is probably also by Castillo.

- “Campesina” or Country-Woman Vicinity of Bogota. 1837. Signed with initials P.D. [Joseph Pio Dominguez]. This shows a nostalgic scene of a woman riding her horse accompanied by a servant on foot. It is interesting to note the artist was well acquainted with the region, and the type of saddle used by woman.

- “A Lame and Impotent Conclusion”. Signed with initials P.D. [Joseph Pio Dominguez] and dated ‘1837’. This shows a beggar, an elderly man with ragged clothes holding a hat presumably asking for charity, the somewhat poetic title aims at the impotence of old age and the sadness of the conclusion of life for the beggar.

- “Arriero” or Carrier of Bogota 1837. Signed with initials P.D. [Joseph Pio Dominguez]. This shows a man, a worker, wearing a ruana with stripes on horseback.

- Living Liliputians of Indian blood, no hair on the body; [?]wice Saint(?); Facatativa 1832(?). Signed J. S. C., initials for Jose S. Castillo, signed from Facatativa, a town near Bogota. The image shows three people, a woman and two children (a boy and a girl), the woman is holding a peculiar sign which reads, in allusion to the shortness of the people the author of the watercolor highlights in the title: “Lusus Naturae. Feliciano Martinez 28 inches – 17 years / Encarnacion Martinez 27 inches – 33 years…”

- Santa Marta. Unsigned, a fine panoramic view of the coastal town of Santa Marta, showing the buildings and larger constructions, as well as what appears to be the fort; Santa Marta was the first Spanish settlement in Colombia, an important port.

- Bogota Wassailers, Serenading. Unsigned, dated 1837. A pair of singers holding a ‘cuatro’ (a string instrument, similar to a guitar, only significantly smaller), and a ‘pandereta’ or tambourine, with women on the back, either leaving or entering

- Poncho A native of los Tunebos a wild Indian village, he lives in a cave, is 30 years of age, is deaf and dumb but is very intelligent. Bogota 1832, unsigned. Depicts a native of Tunebo in northeastern Colombia, apparently deaf, dumb and intelligent.

- Un Pigmeo, natural de Bogota Murio in 1836… Unsigned, extraordinary watercolor of a little person in local attire.

- Travelling in “Tierra Caliente” New Grabada. Unsigned, dated 1837. The watercolor shows two men on mules going uphill in a mountainous region wearing local attires, one being a ruana decorated with vertical stripes.

- “Tapieros” or Mud Wall Builders-Bogota. Unsigned, dated Bogota 1837. As the title clearly states, the image shows masons building a wall using local techniques, which include the use of mud and rather wide walls.

- A Farmer of the Plain of Bogota. Unsigned, dated 1837. The image shows a farmer with a whip in hand dressed in fancy local attire, including trousers presumably made of tiger and the typical hat.

- A Roana Weaver 1837. Unsigned, dated 1837, the date is similar to those signed by Pio Dominguez, and presumably by him too. The image shows a woman weaving.

- Costumes of Lima by J.M.D. It shows a variety of women dressed in the typical fashion, including several ‘Tapadas’, a peculiar fashion that saw women covering most of their faces.

- Natives of Guaduas. 1837. A group of three drawings in a single page, showing a peasant men and a woman and below dog. The first two signed each with initials P.D. [Joseph Pio Dominguez], the dog signed “Pio Dominguez”.

- County Costumes of Bogota and a Neighborhood 1837 ‘Distintas actitudes de los campesinos cercanos a Bogota’, dated 1837.

- Procession in the Holy Week in Bogota in 1837! Unsigned, dated 1837, this is a remarkable view, depicting the procession during Holy Week (Semana Santa) in Bogota, showing different ecclesiastical orders, soldiers, musicians, civilians, in front of a local building.

- A “Champan” Going up the River Magdalena. Unsigned, dated 1837. This fine watercolor shows a local vessel sailing on the river with natives rowing, one of whom appears to be naked, transporting a creole whilst something is being cooked.

- Untitled collection of women dresses from Bogota, each with explanatory text.

- Indians of the Plain of Bogota. Signed J. S. C., initials for Jose S. Castillo, dated 1837. The view shows a native man and woman carrying a bag over their backs, the woman also carrying a hen, both barefoot.

In addition to these, there is a group of somewhat related prints, letters and drawings, including a lithographic portrait of the Count of Casa-Valencia ‘Fusilado por Murillo en la Plaza de Bogota en 1816 por haberse opuesto a la Tirania Espanola’; a drawing of a woman carrying a kid on her back in local costumes and barefoot; women costumes of Colombia, dated Bogota, 1837, of a more naïve or amateurish hand, showing women in various attires, from civilian dressier costumes to homier looks, like the one used by a woman sweeping the floor; another drawing, presumably by the same hand, amateurish, unsigned and undated, showing clerical costumes of various orders; again, presumably by the same hand, clerical costumes, all from Colombia (distinguishable because of the attire of two creoles); a man giving a speech, by a better hand, character unknown; a 19th century manuscript entitled ‘Lengua Chibcha’, from Father Lugo; a manuscript with a vocabulary of the ‘Lengua Chami’, a sort of easy guide to words and phrases to get around, presumably necessary for the author in his travels; and a manuscript of poetry on blue paper, signed F. J. Wallis 18/9/36; engraved bookplate of William Jeanes Wallis, presumably the original owner of this album.