Not currently on display at the V&A

Painting

ca. 1855 (painted)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

William Carpenter was the eldest son of the distinguished portrait painter Margaret Sarah Carpenter and of William Hookham Carpenter, who became Keeper of the Prints and Drawings Department at the British Museum. In early 1850 he set off in the footsteps of his younger brother Percy, also an artist, and landed in Bombay. He spent much of his time painting portraits of local rulers and the surrounding countryside, often wearing Indian dress himself. He travelled widely, from Sri Lanka in the south to Kashmir in the north, and he also spent some time in the Punjab and Afghanistan before moving south to Rajasthan. He appears to have returned to England in 1856. Ten years later he was living in Boston, USA, but he later returned to London, where he died in 1899. Carpenter's Indian pictures display a particular interest in costume, agriculture, and the day-to-day lives of the local inhabitants. This one is a portrait of Kutb, a head table-servant or steward (khansama), possibly to Raja Teh Singh, Commander-in-Chief of the Sikh army. It probably dates from about 1855.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Watercolour on paper
Brief description
Painting by a British artist; William Carpenter, Kutb, a Khansamah (steward), with his daughter, India, ca.1855.
Physical description
Kutb, Khansamah (steward) to the Commander-in-chief, with his daughter.
Dimensions
  • Height: 13.75in
  • Width: 9.75in
Credit line
Museum numbers IS.33-1888 to IS.166-1888 purchased from Mr. Carpenter for £500
Historical context
William Carpenter (ca.1818-1899) travelled through India from 1850-1856 painting portraits and pictures of Indian life and scenery. He travelled to Calcutta via Bombay and Sri Lanka and then up to Delhi and the Punjab frequently dressing in Indian style during his journeys. He stayed in Kashmir from 1854-55, obviously delighting in the scenery and people. Later visiting Afghanistan and then moving south to Rajasthan. On his return to England he exhibited Indian scenes at the Royal Academy between 1857 and 1866.
Summary
William Carpenter was the eldest son of the distinguished portrait painter Margaret Sarah Carpenter and of William Hookham Carpenter, who became Keeper of the Prints and Drawings Department at the British Museum. In early 1850 he set off in the footsteps of his younger brother Percy, also an artist, and landed in Bombay. He spent much of his time painting portraits of local rulers and the surrounding countryside, often wearing Indian dress himself. He travelled widely, from Sri Lanka in the south to Kashmir in the north, and he also spent some time in the Punjab and Afghanistan before moving south to Rajasthan. He appears to have returned to England in 1856. Ten years later he was living in Boston, USA, but he later returned to London, where he died in 1899. Carpenter's Indian pictures display a particular interest in costume, agriculture, and the day-to-day lives of the local inhabitants. This one is a portrait of Kutb, a head table-servant or steward (khansama), possibly to Raja Teh Singh, Commander-in-Chief of the Sikh army. It probably dates from about 1855.
Bibliographic reference
Archer, Mildred and Ronald Lightbown. 'India Observed: India as viewed by British Artists 1760-1860. Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1982. p108 and 138. ISBN 0905209184
Collection
Accession number
IS.39-1882

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Record createdMarch 10, 2003
Record URL
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