Painting thumbnail 1
Painting thumbnail 2
Not currently on display at the V&A

Painting

ca. 1875 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Painting, in opaque watercolour and tin alloy on paper, a barber attending to a seated courtesan. The courtesan is holding a huqqa whilst the barber pierces her ear before inserting an ear ring. Three further pins are stuck in his turban.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Painted in opaque watercolour and tin alloy on paper
Brief description
Painting, courtesan with barber, opaque watercolour and tin alloy on paper, Kalighat, Kolkata, ca. 1875
Physical description
Painting, in opaque watercolour and tin alloy on paper, a barber attending to a seated courtesan. The courtesan is holding a huqqa whilst the barber pierces her ear before inserting an ear ring. Three further pins are stuck in his turban.
Dimensions
  • Height: 428mm (maximum)
  • Width: 281mm (maximum)
31/07/2013 dimensions measured as part of Indian Paintings Cataloguing Project 2013; object irregular in shape.
Content description
A barber attending to a seated courtesan. The courtesan is holding a huqqa whilst the barber pierces her ear before inserting an ear ring. Three further pins are stuck in his turban.
Style
Credit line
Given by Major R.G. Gayer-Anderson Pasha and Colonel T.G.Gayer-Anderson, C.M.G., D.S.O.
Object history
Historical significance: Calcutta was recognised as the Capital of British India from 1833-1912. By the 1830s, artistshad arrived from rural villages in Bengal and began to produce paintings that reflected 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
  • Archer, W ,G (1971) Kalighat Painting, London, HMSO, p59.
  • 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.75
Collection
Accession number
IS.12-1954

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Record createdDecember 17, 2002
Record URL
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