This view of Singapore was painted by Percy Carpenter (1820-1895), an English artist who resided in Singapore from 1855 until he moved to Calcutta by 1859. The foreground of this watercolour work depicts John James Greenshields, a partner of Guthrie & Co. and a member of the Singapore Municipal Committee, together with his wife, looking outwards from the vantage point of their residence at Cairn Hill. Government Hill is visible at the centre of this landscape, flanked by Mount Sophia on the left and Institution Hill on the right. This idyllic, picturesque view nonetheless shows hints of Singapore's busy trade, with glimpses of shipping scenes in the background.
