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LEYDEN [John] Pencil sketch of head and shoulders of John Leyden, 9.5 x 13cms., black frame, w...

Currency:GBP Category:Everything Else / Other Start Price:NA Estimated At:350.00 - 450.00 GBP
LEYDEN [John] Pencil sketch of head and shoulders of John Leyden, 9.5 x 13cms., black frame, w...
LEYDEN [John]
Pencil sketch of head and shoulders of John Leyden, 9.5 x 13cms., black frame, with an inscription attributing the sketch to Captain George and that it was undertaken on board the Phoenix on the way to Madrass and presented to
Colonel Mackenzie by Dr Leyden in April 1911.
Note: John Leyden, (1775-1811), linguist and orientalist, had been introduced to Scott in 1801 and materially helped him with the earlier volumes of the Border minstrelsy. Scott helped secure Leyden's posting to India in 1803. Although Scott had his doubts as to the desirability of India as a place of posting, India held an enduring fascination
for him, and he and Leyden continued to correspond, with Scott expressing concerns over Leyden's health and workload. (see Brown 'Griffins, nabobs and a seasoning of curry powder: Walter Scott and the Indian theme in life and literature' in Buddle, et al. The tiger and the thistle: Tipu Sultan and the Scots in India 1760-1800, Edinburgh, 1999) Leyden died in August shortly after giving the present sketch to its recipient. [Information supplied with the kind assistance of Dr. I.G. Brown of the National Library of Scotland)
£350-450
See Illustration.