Artwork
View eastwards from the steps behind Mount Mary Church, Bandra, Bombay
View eastwards from the steps behind Mount Mary Church, Bandra, Bombay is a paint painting by the Impressionist artist William Carpenter. It dates from 25 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
William Carpenter painted this scene in Bombay on Christmas Day 1850. It shows a view east from steps behind Mount Mary Church. The style mixes Realism and early Impressionism.
Carpenter spent six years in India. He wore local dress while painting. He traveled from Sri Lanka to Kashmir, capturing rulers and landscapes.
See more landscapes by Carpenter at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Overview
This painting, created on Christmas Day 1850, is a landscape view of Bombay by William Carpenter, an artist who traveled extensively throughout India.
Subject & Meaning
The scene depicts a view eastwards from the steps behind Mount Mary Church in Bandra, showing islands that comprise Bombay, including Sion Fort and the Mahim Causeway, with everyday life in the foreground.
Technique & Style
The work blends Realist and early Impressionist styles, capturing the landscape and daily activities with attention to detail.
History & Provenance
Carpenter, son of portrait painter Margaret Sarah Carpenter, spent six years in India, adopting local dress and documenting local life and landscapes from Sri Lanka to Kashmir before returning to England in 1856.
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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