SAMUEL DANIELL, an enigmatic life in southern Africa and Ceylon, 1799-1811

496pp., b/w & colour illus., hardback, d.w., Jonathan Ball, Johannesburg, 2025

ISBN: 9781776194223

An account of the life and work of British artist and traveller Samuel Daniell (1775-1811), who visited the Cape during the First British Occupation (1795-1803). He was part of the Truter-Somerville expedition (1801-1802) and made the first images of the Tswana and their country; sketched the Xhosa and Khoisan on the Cape frontier regions; and depicted many animals of southern Africa in sketches, drawings and watercolours. Daniell later worked in Ceylon (1805-1811), where he died at the age of 36.

Daniell’s drawings are mostly unpublished, and no letters or notebooks have survived. Michael Stevenson reconstructs his life and travels by bringing together all the known works by Daniell from collections across the world.

Art historian Michael Stevenson is the founder of the Stevenson Gallery. His books include Art and Aspirations: The Randlords of South Africa and their collections and Hylton Nel, conversations (with Hylton Nel). He lives in the Cederberg.