Artwork
A seated woman painting spots on a toy leopard
A seated woman painting spots on a toy leopard is a drawing by the Impressionist artist John Lockwood Kipling. It dates from 1870 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
This drawing by John Lockwood Kipling depicts a seated woman applying spots to a toy leopard.
Subject & Meaning
The subject is an Indian craftswoman at work, reflecting Kipling's interest in traditional Indian crafts and artisans.
History & Provenance
The drawing was created in Delhi in November 1870, as part of a government-commissioned series of sketches of Indian craftsmen made by Kipling during a tour of the North-West Provinces.
Context
Kipling was Principal of the Mayo College of Arts in Lahore, where he promoted traditional Indian crafts threatened by European imports.
Artist & collection
Artist
John Lockwood Kipling filled sketchbooks with the daily life he saw around him in British India, drawing craftsmen at work, farmers at market, and seed planters in fields.
