Not currently on display at the V&A

Painting

first half 18th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Painting, in opaque watercolour and gold on paper, two flowering plants are painted side by side on the plain off-white coloured paper ground. The left hand plant has narrow pinnate leaves with a bifurcated mauve flower. That on the right has a florescence of deep pink primula-like flowers and three serrated leaves. the painting is made up of watercolour washes with the modelling achieved with loose hatchings in deeper tones. The picture is framed with an inner border on the plain ivory ground of the album page. It is made with strips of faded red paper cut out on both sides round the outermost edge of the mauve flower and one of the leaves of the pink flowered plant on the right. The frame has a gold outer line and ruled lines in black. The page has strips of buff-coloured paper at its edges outlined in black on its inner sides. There is a strip of beige woven textile added over the remains of the inner margin as a gutter for the album binding.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Painted in opaque watercolour and gold on paper
Brief description
Painting, Small Clive Album p. 72, opaque watercolour and gold on paper, Mughal, possibly Avadh, first half 18th century
Physical description
Painting, in opaque watercolour and gold on paper, two flowering plants are painted side by side on the plain off-white coloured paper ground. The left hand plant has narrow pinnate leaves with a bifurcated mauve flower. That on the right has a florescence of deep pink primula-like flowers and three serrated leaves. the painting is made up of watercolour washes with the modelling achieved with loose hatchings in deeper tones. The picture is framed with an inner border on the plain ivory ground of the album page. It is made with strips of faded red paper cut out on both sides round the outermost edge of the mauve flower and one of the leaves of the pink flowered plant on the right. The frame has a gold outer line and ruled lines in black. The page has strips of buff-coloured paper at its edges outlined in black on its inner sides. There is a strip of beige woven textile added over the remains of the inner margin as a gutter for the album binding.
Dimensions
  • Central painting height: 20cm
  • Central painting extending into inner frame width: 14.5cm
  • Page height: 35.5cm
  • Page width: 23.5cm
Style
Credit line
Gift of Mr. John Goelet
Object history
This miniature painting is part of the Small Clive Album of Indian miniatures which is thought to have been given by Shuja ud-Daula, the Nawab of Avadh, to Lord Clive during his last visit to India in 1765-67. It contains 56 leaves on which are Mughal miniature paintings, drawing and flower studies on both sides. The binding is covered with an Indian brocade silk that may have been cut from lengths brought home by the 2nd Lord Clive, who served as Governor of Madras, 1799 to 1803. The album was sold from Powis Castle at Sotheby's sale, 16 to 18 January 1956, lot 332A.
Subject depicted
Collection
Accession number
IS.48:36/B-1956

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Record createdDecember 11, 2003
Record URL
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