Whylock Pendavis, Ghoon at Yamsé Muslim Festival, Mauritius – 1880s watercolour painting
Whylock Pendavis, Ghoon at Yamsé Muslim Festival, Mauritius – 1880s watercolour painting
Whylock Pendavis, Ghoon at Yamsé Muslim Festival, Mauritius – 1880s watercolour painting

Whylock Pendavis Ghoon at Yamsé Muslim Festival, Mauritius

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View the full Collection: Mauritius: Whylock Pendavis (1852–1924)

An original 1880s watercolour painting – Whylock Pendavis, Ghoon at Yamsé Muslim Festival, Mauritius.

An interesting late 19th-century view on the island of Mauritius by Whylock Pendavis (1852–1924), who served as Archdeacon of Mauritius at the beginning of the 20th century. His earlier roles with the Christian Mission on the island included chaplain at St John's Church in Moka in the 1880s and Civil and Military Chaplain at Port Louis in the 1890s.

Mauritius was, at this time, under British rule, having been captured in 1810 by British forces and wrested from the French during the Napoleonic Wars.

Whylock Pendavis evidently had a lively mind and talented hand. Here he depicts a vividly coloured and richly decorated 'Ghoon' at the Yamsé festival, observed by Shiite muslims in Port Louis to commemorate the martyrdom of Hussain. The Muslim population of Mauritius, the third largest after Hindu and Christian, were predominantly indentured labourers brought from India by the British to work on the sugar plantations. There were also Muslim traders and 'lascars', sailors brought by the French to help build the harbour at Port Louis.

This painting forms part of a fascinating collection of works by Pendavis depicting the landscapes, peoples and festivities of Mauritius in the 19th century.

There is an additional painting on the verso of the paper depicting figures 'On the road from Port Louis – returning from the Races'. After the takeover of the island by the British from the French in 1810, the British established horse racing at the Champ de Mars racecourse in 1812, with the aim of creating a convivial and reconciliatory atmosphere through sportsmanship.

In watercolour with bodycolour.

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Mauritius: Whylock Pendavis (1852–1924)

This painting forms part of a fascinating collection of works by Whylock Pendavis (1852–1924) depicting Mauritius towards the end of the 19th century. The colourful pictures capture not only the island's spectacular physical geography but also the multicultural make-up of its people. Unusually, Mauritius was uninhabited for much of human history; the first settlers were the Dutch in the 17th century. The island's strategic location in the Indian Ocean meant that it played a key role in the development of global trade networks; it was overtaken first by the French, in 1715, then the British, in 1810. The capital was named Port Louis, in honour of King Louis XV of France, and with its naturally deep harbour it flourished as a naval base and commercial centre.

Under British rule, Port Louis became a melting pot of cultures, with an influx of Indians, Africans, Chinese, and Europeans. The sugar industry became the backbone of the Mauritian economy, with a large number of indentured labourers from India brought in to work in the sugar cane fields. As a result, Hinduism became the dominant religion on the island, coexisting alongside significant Christian (largely Roman Catholic) and Muslim populations.

There is limited biographical record of Whylock Pendavis. He was born in Fowey, Cornwall, to Lieutenant Frederick Whylock Davis (1820–1874) and studied at Trinity College, Dublin. In 1879 he is Curate of St James at Collyhurst near Manchester and in 1882 he is in charge of a new district church at nearby Monsall-in-Newton. It appears that from here, in the late 1880s, he was posted to serve with the Christian mission in Mauritius, part of the endeavour to spread Christianity on the island. First serving as chaplain at St John's Church in Moka, in 1899 he is Civil and Military Chaplain at Port Louis, and by 1906 he is promoted to Archdeacon of Mauritius.

For Pendavis the tropical landscape around Moka, the vibrancy of Port Louis and its religious festivities, must have felt a world away from his chaplaincy in the north of England. Together, these paintings are a rare record of the island's cultural and spiritual life and its unique colonial past.

COA
+ Artwork Details

Dimensions: Height: 24.4cm (9.61") Width: 16.3cm (6.42")

Presented: Unframed.

Medium: Watercolour

Age: Late 19th-century

Signed: No.

Inscribed: Inscribed lower centre.

Dated: --

Condition: In good condition for its age. The picture may have minor imperfections such as slight marks, toning, foxing, creasing or pinholes, commensurate with age. Please see photos for detail.

Stock number: KB-855