Landscape artist and noted aquatint engraver. Born in Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey, the son of a publican. His father died in 1779 and Daniell was raised by his uncle, the landscape artist Thomas Daniell (1749 - 1840). Between 1786 and 1794 he travelled with his uncle in India, where they pair learned with skill of aquatint printing with the help of local craftsmen. Their published collections of prints were commercially successful, both with the British in India and on their return to England. Daniell is best remembered for his Voyage Round Great Britain, a collection of 308 prints and associated commentary published between 1814 and 1825. Although originally intended to be a journey by boat, this proved expensive and impractical, so it was undertaken as a series of road journeys - a challenge at the time. Daniell began his journey in 1813 by visiting the South-West of England and Wales. The following year he came to Kirkcudbright, and then Wigtown in 1815. He had travelled via Edinburgh and took advice from Sir Walter Scott (1771 - 1832) on the best places to visit and Scott assisted with the commentaries. Daniell continued to the west coast, visiting the islands of Eigg, Rum, Skye, Raasay, Harris and Lewis. He then journeyed around the north and east coast, visiting Orkney, Caithness, Sutherland, Aberdeenshire and Dundee before returning to London. In 1821, he came north again to St. Andrews and then journeyed down the east coast of Scotland and England.
Daniell produced dramatic illustrations of a remarkable number of Scottish castles including Aros Castle, Broughty Castle, Caerlaverock Castle, Berriedale Castle, Boyne Castle, the Castle of Mey, Castle of Old Wick, Castle Sinclair Girnigoe, Cardoness Castle, Culzean Castle, Dunbeath Castle, Dunollie Castle, Dunnottar Castle, Dunrobin Castle, Dunskey Castle, Dunstaffnage Castle, Duntrune Castle, Duntulm Castle, Dunvegan Castle, Eilean Donan Castle, Findlater Castle, Forse Castle, Inveraray Castle, Keiss Castle, Mingary Castle, Slains Castle, Tantallon Castle and Wemyss Castle, together with views of Creetown, Edinburgh, Fingal's Cave, Jura, the Mull of Galloway, Old Man of Hoy, Portpatrick, Portree, Raasay, Scalpay, Stornoway and Thurso. He is also noted for marine paintings.
He died in London. The copper plates used to produce his Voyage Round Great Britain were rediscovered in 1962 and are now held by the Tate Gallery in London.
