Frans Balthazar Solvyns

Frans Balthazar Solvyns or François Balt(h)azar(d) (6 July 1760 – 10 October 1824) was a Flemish marine painter, printmaker and ethnographer. While living and working in India from 1791 to 1803, he made many drawings of the manners and customs of the Indians, especially of Calcutta, which he later etched and published. He is, along with Thomas Daniell, considered one of the early pioneers in the field of print-making in India. His collection of etchings provide a portrait of Calcutta's 18th century history, and the people and customs of Bengal. His encyclopaedic and systematic approach made him a pioneer of the systematic ethnography of the Indian population. His work had an important influence on 19th century Indian painting.