This is one of seven portraits of Indian men and women from a scrapbook. It belonged to William Fullerton of Rosemount, and some of the people depicted may have been members of his household. These paintings are in the native Indian style. Fullerton commissioned them before the development of the Company style used by Indian artists making paintings for the British in India. The woman in this picture was clearly unused to sitting on a European chair and has adopted a posture more appropriate for sitting on the ground.
Physical description
An Indian lady squatting on a European-style chair smoking a huqqa, which is on a small table. She wears a white gown and a green gold-edged shawl. In the background a green hedge. One of seven portraits of Indian men and women.
Place of Origin
Murshidabad (made)
Date
ca. 1760 - ca. 1764 (made)
Artist/maker
Unknown
Materials and Techniques
Opaque watercolour on paper
Marks and inscriptions
W.F.
Roman
Dimensions
Height: 24.5 cm, Width: 16.5 cm
Descriptive line
Painting, lady of William Fullerton's household smoking, style of Dip Chand, Murshidabad, ca. 1760-1764
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, 75 p. ISBN 0944142303
Swallow, Deborah and John Guy eds., Arts of India: 150-1900, text by Rosemary Crill, John Guy, Veronica Murphy, Susan Stronge and Deborah Swallow, London: Victoria and Albert Museum 1990, pp. 178-9. pl.152.
ISBN 1-85177-022-4
Jaffer, A. Furniture from British India and Ceylon: a catalogue of the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Peabody Essex Museum. London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 2001. ISBN 1 85177 318 5.p.124, fig.54.
pps. 236-237
Jackson, Anna and Ji Wei (eds.) with Rosemary Crill, Ainsley M. Cameron and Nicholas Barnard, compiled by the Palace Museum, translated by Yuan Hong, Qi Yue and Liu Ran. The Splendour of India' Royal Courts : Collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. Beijing: the Forbidden City Publishing House, 2013. Text in English and Chinese. ISBN 9787513403917.
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 the style of Dip Chand of Murshidabad.
Materials
Paper; Opaque watercolour
Techniques
Painted
Subjects depicted
Huqqa-smokers; Figures
Categories
Paintings; Indian Company Paintings
Collection
South & South East Asia Collection
