Prawn with three fishes thumbnail 1
Prawn with three fishes thumbnail 2
Not currently on display at the V&A

Prawn with three fishes

Painting
ca. 1940 (made)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
Calcutta (made)

Fresh water prawn shown with a pale blue body, red markings, whiskers and two long claws. Swimming about its head are three small catfishes in white and brown each with two long barbels. This is a 20th century copy of a Kalighat painting illustrating a proverb.


Object details

Categories
Paintings
Animals and Wildlife
SCRAN
Folk Art
Object type
Painting
TitlePrawn with three fishes (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Watercolour on paper
Watercolour
Silver
Paper
Painted
Brief description
Kalighat painting of a fresh water prawn with three cat fishes. Calcutta ca. 1940.
Physical description
Fresh water prawn shown with a pale blue body, red markings, whiskers and two long claws. Swimming about its head are three small catfishes in white and brown each with two long barbels. This is a 20th century copy of a Kalighat painting illustrating a proverb.
Style
Kalighat
Credit line
Given by Dr. S.K. Chatterjee
Object history
Historical significance: Calcutta was recognised as 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 hall mark of Kalighat painting in the 19th and early 20th century.
Subject depicted
Catfish
Bibliographic references
  • Sinha, Suhashini, and Panda, C, eds. Kalighat Paintings from the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London and Victoria Memorial Hall, Kolkata. London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 2012. ISBN 1851776656. p. 71 and p. 38
  • Kalighat paintings : a catalogue and introduction / by W.G. Archer. London: H. M. Stationery Office, 1971 Number: 0112900291 : fig. 83, cat. no. 42, p. 96.
Collection
South & South East Asia Collection
Accession number
IS.2-1954

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Record createdJanuary 7, 2003
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O72645/prawn-with-three-fishes-painting-unknown/
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