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Head and shoulders portrait of an Anglo-Indian girl.
Portrait
ca. 1810-1820 (painted)
ca. 1810-1820 (painted)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
This is a portrait of a young Anglo-Indian girl wearing a low-necked, high-waisted gown typical of the Regency period (1811-1820). This suggests that the portrait was painted about 1810-1820. This would make it one of the earliest portrait paintings on ivory in the V&A’s collection of Company Paintings (paintings made by Indian artists for the British in India). The donor, Charles Campbell Prinsep, was the grandson of James Prinsep, who married Evie Campbell and was Assistant to Sir Thomas Metcalfe, Resident at Delhi (1811-1819).
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Title | Head and shoulders portrait of an Anglo-Indian girl. |
Materials and techniques | Painted watercolour on ivory. In 2017, the portrait was mounted in a metal frame for display purposes and for protection. |
Brief description | Painting; Watercolour on ivory, This is a head and shoulders portrait of an Anglo-Indian girl, Delhi, ca.1810-1820 |
Physical description | This head and shoulders portrait of an Anglo-Indian girl shows her wearing a low-necked, high-waisted gown typical of the Regency period and a pearl necklace. |
Dimensions |
|
Style | |
Marks and inscriptions | Half-caste young lady of Bengal (Inscription; decoration; English; Roman; On the reverse; Unknown) |
Gallery label | PORTRAIT OF AN ANGLO-INDIAN WOMAN
Watercolour on ivory
Delhi
c. 1810-20
03627 (IS)
The identity of the woman in this portrait remains unknown. The inscription on the reverse of the painting, which reads ‘half-caste young lady of Bengal’, combined with her clothing, alludes to her social background. It is likely to have been collected by an employee of the East India Company. Given to loved ones, a portrait such as this one would be treasured.(01/08/2017) |
Credit line | Transferred from the India Museum |
Object history | Given to the India Museum by Charles Campbell Prinsep |
Subjects depicted | |
Summary | This is a portrait of a young Anglo-Indian girl wearing a low-necked, high-waisted gown typical of the Regency period (1811-1820). This suggests that the portrait was painted about 1810-1820. This would make it one of the earliest portrait paintings on ivory in the V&A’s collection of Company Paintings (paintings made by Indian artists for the British in India). The donor, Charles Campbell Prinsep, was the grandson of James Prinsep, who married Evie Campbell and was Assistant to Sir Thomas Metcalfe, Resident at Delhi (1811-1819). |
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 218 p. ISBN 0944142303 |
Collection | |
Accession number | 03627(IS) |
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Record created | December 15, 1999 |
Record URL |
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