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Painting - A military officer of the East India Company

A military officer of the East India Company

  • Object:

    Painting

  • Place of origin:

    Murshidabad (made)

  • Date:

    ca. 1765 - ca. 1770 (painted)

  • Artist/Maker:

    Unknown

  • Materials and Techniques:

    Opaque watercolour on paper

  • Museum number:

    IS.16-1955

  • Gallery location:

    In Storage

The pictures made by Indian artists for the British in India are called Company paintings. This one shows a military officer of the East India Company. The Indian artist has used the technique and style of the late Mughal Murshidabad school of painting. However, the style is moving in the direction of Company painting. The tree in particular shows the influence of European watercolours. The river is probably the Bhagirathi in West Bengal.

Physical description

A military officer of the East India Company is standing with his dog and a boy attendant under a tree on the bank of a river. The attendant holds a sword across his arm.

Place of Origin

Murshidabad (made)

Date

ca. 1765 - ca. 1770 (painted)

Artist/maker

Unknown

Materials and Techniques

Opaque watercolour on paper

Dimensions

Height: 333 mm maximum, Width: 264 mm maximum, Height: 277 mm image within innermost painted borders maximum, Width: 215 mm image within innermost painted borders maximum

Object history note

IS.10 to 18-1954 were purchased from Maggs Bros., London W1.

Descriptive line

Painting; gouache, A military officer of the East India Company, Murshidabad, ca. 1765 - ca. 1770

Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)

Archer, Mildred. Company Paintings Indian Paintings of the British period
Victoria and Albert Museum Indian Series London: Victoria and Albert Museum, Maplin Publishing, 1992, 77 p. ISBN 0944142303

p. 21, pl. 2
Das, N. and Llewellyn-Jones, R. (eds.). Murshidabad: Forgotten Capital of Bengal, ISBN 978-81-921106-9-1. Marg, Mumbai, 2013. ISBN 978-81-921106-9-1.
p.48
Arts of Bengal : the heritage of Bangladesh and eastern India : an exhibition organized by the Whitechapel Art Gallery in collaboration with the Victoria and Albert Museum : 9 November-30 December 1979, Whitechapel Art Gallery ..., 12 January-17 February 1980, Manchester City Art Gallery ... . [London]: Whitechapel Art Gallery, [1979] Number: 085488047X (pbk.) :

Production Note

The painting is in the style of Murshidabad school. The composition shows the growing assimilation of European techniques by Murshidabad artists, particularly depiction of the tree.

Materials

Paper; Opaque watercolour

Techniques

Painted

Subjects depicted

East India Company; Occupations, Military officers

Categories

Paintings; Indian Company Paintings

Collection

South & South East Asia Collection

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