Artwork
Dyers' and pan-sellers' shops in Pune
Dyers' and pan-sellers' shops in Pune is a paint painting by the Impressionist artist William Carpenter. It dates from 1850 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
William Carpenter painted a scene of dye shops and pan-sellers in Pune, India, in July 1850.
William Carpenter painted a scene of dye shops and pan-sellers in Pune, India, in July 1850. It’s one of many works he made while traveling the region in the early 1850s. He dressed in local clothing and sketched rulers and landscapes along the way.
Carpenter came from a family of artists. His father worked at the British Museum, and his brother was also a painter. He stayed in India for years before moving to the U.S. and later back to London.
Look up the Victoria and Albert Museum for more of Carpenter’s Indian scenes.
Overview
Dyers' and pan-sellers' shops in Pune is a painting by William Carpenter, created in July 1850. It depicts a marketplace scene in Pune, India, showcasing the artist's interest in everyday life and local customs.
Subject & Meaning
The painting shows dyers' and pan-sellers' shops, likely in Pune's Sadr bazaar. It highlights the artist's fascination with the daily lives of local inhabitants and their occupations, offering a glimpse into 19th-century Indian market culture.
Technique & Style
Carpenter's work is characterized by its attention to detail, particularly in the depiction of local costumes and practices. By dressing in Indian attire, he immersed himself in the culture, which is reflected in the painting's nuanced representation of the scene.
History & Provenance
William Carpenter traveled extensively throughout India from 1850, painting portraits and landscapes. He returned to England in 1856, later lived in Boston, and eventually settled back in London, where he died in 1899. Examples of his Indian scenes are held by the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
William Carpenter (1818–1899) was an English watercolour artist. He travelled for six or seven years in the 1850s painting scenes of India, its people and its life. The Victoria and Albert Museum bought over 280 of his…
The Golden Temple, Amritsar
Toddywallah's hut in a grove of date palms near Breach Candy, Bombay
Interior of Shah Hamadan's Masjid during a religious ceremony
On the Mar Canal at Srinagar, Kashmir
Shops for colours and flowers used at festivals, Sadr bazaar, Pune
Portrait of Tara Chand, the court painter
Study of a tamarind tree and date palms near Sir William Yardley's house at Breach Candy, Bombay
Two harnessed bullocks from Gujarat with their keeper
