A Bengali courtesan
Painting
ca. 1890 (made)
ca. 1890 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Painting, in watercolour and tin alloy on paper, of a Bengali courtesan with silver jewellery, holding one end of her sari over her head whilst revealing a bare right breast. The ornaments, detailed in silver colour (executed in tin alloy), may be described as stock in trade of the patuas. In Bengal the women during this period did not wear any other garments under their saris. WG Archer commented on this painting that her opulent form, her pinkish-brown flesh tones and pale blue sari with prominent folds anticipate the bold and curvaceous style.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | A Bengali courtesan (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Painted in watercolour and tin alloy on paper |
| Brief description | Painting, Bengali courtesan, watercolour and tin alloy on paper, Kalighat, Kolkata, ca. 1890 |
| Physical description | Painting, in watercolour and tin alloy on paper, of a Bengali courtesan with silver jewellery, holding one end of her sari over her head whilst revealing a bare right breast. The ornaments, detailed in silver colour (executed in tin alloy), may be described as stock in trade of the patuas. In Bengal the women during this period did not wear any other garments under their saris. WG Archer commented on this painting that her opulent form, her pinkish-brown flesh tones and pale blue sari with prominent folds anticipate the bold and curvaceous style. |
| Dimensions |
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| Content description | A Bengali courtesan with silver jewellery, holding one end of her sari over her head whilst revealing a bare right breast. |
| Style | |
| Marks and inscriptions | 'Bengali woman Public' (Inscribed on reverse in English) |
| Credit line | Given by M. N. Varvill, Esq. |
| Object history | Given by M N Varvill, Esq., in 1955. Historical significance: Calcutta was the capital of British India from 1833-1912. By the 1830s, artists had arrived in Calcutta from rural villages in Bengal and began to produce paintings that reflected the local history, mythology, customs and conflicts of a colonised society. As a popular art form, these artists are recognised for their use of brilliant colour, simplified images and swift brushstrokes that became the hallmark of Kalighat painting in the 19th and early 20th century. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | IS.262-1955 |
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| Record created | December 18, 2002 |
| Record URL |
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