Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a paint painting by the Patna School of Painting artist William Carpenter. It dates from 1850 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
Untitled is a painting by William Carpenter depicting a row of shops in Pune's Sadr bazaar, created during his time in India in the 1850s.
Subject & Meaning
The painting shows three shops: a liquor store, a money-lender's stall, and a pan vendor, highlighting everyday life and local customs in 19th-century India. Pan, chewed with areca-nut and lime, was a common practice throughout south Asia.
Technique & Style
Carpenter's work is characterized by bright colors and rapid brushstrokes, demonstrating his attention to local attire and daily activities.
History & Provenance
William Carpenter, son of portrait painter Margaret Sarah Carpenter and British Museum curator William Hookham Carpenter, traveled extensively in India from 1850 until his return to England in 1856, painting portraits and landscapes.
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…
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