Not currently on display at the V&A

Toddywallah's hut in a grove of date palms near Breach Candy, Bombay

Painting
1850-51 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

William Carpenter trained at the Royal Academy Schools.He was in India from 1850 to 1856, during which time he travelled extensively from Bombay (Mumbai) and across western India to Rajasthan, Delhi, Kashmir, Lahore and Afghanistan. His depiction of every day street scenes and groups of people is remarkably accurate and animated, his portraits vividly capturing the character of his sitters and the glowing effects of sunlight as cityscapes and architectural monuments. Brilliantly executed in a range of warm colours, his watercolours evoke a gentle romanticism.

This view was taken from Cumballa Hill overlooking Breach Candy and the Arabian Sea, and vividly shows the rural character of this coastline little more than 150 years ago. After Carpenters return to England, The Illustrated London News published some of his watercolours. In 1881, he exhibited 275 of his paintings in a one-man show in the South Kensington Museum, London. This entire collection was subsequently acquired by the V&A.


Object details

Category
Object type
TitleToddywallah's hut in a grove of date palms near Breach Candy, Bombay (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Watercolour on paper
Brief description
Toddywallah's hut in a grove of date palms near Breach Candy, Bombay, by William Carpenter, Painting, watercolour on paper, India, 1850-51
Physical description
This image shows a hut with palm trees behind it. In the distance is the sea with boats sailing on it. In the foreground, on the left hand side are a group of children seated on a small platform. A woman and child are seated in the doorway of the hut, and on the right there are two women, one of whom hold a water pot on her head and the other a child on her side.

This view was taken from Cumballa Hill overlooking Breach Candy and the Arabian Sea.
Dimensions
  • Height: 248mm
  • Length: 350mm
Gallery label
This view was taken from Cumballa Hill overlooking Breach Candy and the Arabian Sea, and vividly shows the rural character of this coastline little more than 150 years ago(1/12/2008)
Credit line
Purchased from William Carpenter
Object history
Historical significance: William Carpenter (1818-99)

William Carpenter was trained at the Royal Academy Schools, and was the eldest son of the distinguished portrait painter Margaret Sarah Carpenter and William Hookham Carpenter, who became Keeper of the Prints and Drawings Department at the British Museum.

He was in India from 1850 t0 1856, during which time he travelled extensively from Bombay (Mumbai) and across western India to Rajasthan, Delhi, Kashmir, Lahore and Afghanistan. His depiction of every day street scenes and groups of people is remarkably accurate and animated, his portraits vividly capturing the character of his sitters and the glowing effects of sunlight as cityscapes and architectural monuments. Brilliantly executed in a range of warm colours, his watercolours evoke a gentle romanticism.

After his return to England, The Illustrated London News published some of his watercolours. In 1881, he exhibited 275 of his paintings in a one-man show in the South Kensington Museum, London. This entire collection was subsequently acquired by the V&A.
Summary
William Carpenter trained at the Royal Academy Schools.He was in India from 1850 to 1856, during which time he travelled extensively from Bombay (Mumbai) and across western India to Rajasthan, Delhi, Kashmir, Lahore and Afghanistan. His depiction of every day street scenes and groups of people is remarkably accurate and animated, his portraits vividly capturing the character of his sitters and the glowing effects of sunlight as cityscapes and architectural monuments. Brilliantly executed in a range of warm colours, his watercolours evoke a gentle romanticism.

This view was taken from Cumballa Hill overlooking Breach Candy and the Arabian Sea, and vividly shows the rural character of this coastline little more than 150 years ago. After Carpenters return to England, The Illustrated London News published some of his watercolours. In 1881, he exhibited 275 of his paintings in a one-man show in the South Kensington Museum, London. This entire collection was subsequently acquired by the V&A.
Bibliographic reference
Patel, Divia; Rohatgi, Pauline and Godrej, Pheroza, "Indian Life and Landscape by Western Artists: an exhibition of paintings and drawings from the 17th to the early 20th century organised by the V&A and CSMVS". Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS), Mumbai and Victoria and Albert Museum, 2008, ISBN:81-901020-8-7 p. 58
Collection
Accession number
IS.69-1881

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Record createdJune 25, 2009
Record URL
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