A group of dancing-girls and musicians
Painting
ca. 1815 (painted)
ca. 1815 (painted)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
This Company painting is from a set of four depicting inhabitants of Delhi around 1815; they may be by the artist Faiz Ali Khan. This one shows a troupe of three dancing-girls and four musicians performing in front of a male official and a group of women, some of whom are smoking huqqas.
'Company paintings' were produced by Indian artists for Europeans living and working in the Indian subcontinent, especially British employees of the East India Company. They represent a fusion of traditional Indian artistic styles with conventions and technical features borrowed from western art. Some Company paintings were specially commissioned, while others were virtually mass-produced and could be purchased in bazaars.
'Company paintings' were produced by Indian artists for Europeans living and working in the Indian subcontinent, especially British employees of the East India Company. They represent a fusion of traditional Indian artistic styles with conventions and technical features borrowed from western art. Some Company paintings were specially commissioned, while others were virtually mass-produced and could be purchased in bazaars.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Title | A group of dancing-girls and musicians (generic title) |
Materials and techniques | Opaque watercolour on paper |
Brief description | Painting, A group of dancing girls, Delhi, ca.1815 |
Physical description | A group of dancing girls and musicians are in the foreground with a view of a hilly landscape and river in the background. In the immediate foreground on the right and left appear other girls and women smoking huqqas. |
Dimensions |
|
Style | |
Credit line | Given by Miss M. Letitia Harford, OBE |
Object history | Dalrymple, William and Sharma, Yuthika (eds). Princes and Painters in Mughal Delhi, 1707-1857. New York : Asia Society ; New Haven [Conn.] : Yale University Press, 2012. ISBN 9780300176667 ; 030017666X. p. 140-1 cat. no. 55. |
Subjects depicted | |
Summary | This Company painting is from a set of four depicting inhabitants of Delhi around 1815; they may be by the artist Faiz Ali Khan. This one shows a troupe of three dancing-girls and four musicians performing in front of a male official and a group of women, some of whom are smoking huqqas. 'Company paintings' were produced by Indian artists for Europeans living and working in the Indian subcontinent, especially British employees of the East India Company. They represent a fusion of traditional Indian artistic styles with conventions and technical features borrowed from western art. Some Company paintings were specially commissioned, while others were virtually mass-produced and could be purchased in bazaars. |
Bibliographic reference | Archer, Mildred. Company Paintings Indian Paintings of the British period
Victoria and Albert Museum Indian Series London: Victoria and Albert Museum, Maplin Publishing, 1992 155 p. ISBN 0944142303 |
Collection | |
Accession number | IS.70-1977 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
Record created | December 15, 1999 |
Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest