This painting of a vegetable seller is typical of a style known as ‘Company painting’. Company paintings were produced by Indian artists primarily for employees of the British East India Company, which started as a trading company based in India in the 17th century, but soon began to acquire territorial rights, until its dissolution in 1857. Company paintings depicted Indian architecture, flora and fauna, as well as scenes from everyday life such as this. For the British patrons who bought them, the paintings provided a record of life in India.

Here the vegetable seller can be seen seated among an assortment of vegetables including aubergines, weighing a portion using hand-held scales.