Artwork
Boy Selling Cakes
Boy Selling Cakes is a paint painting by the Patna School of Painting artist Puqua. It dates from 1790 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
The work is a rectangular watercolor dated 1790, titled *Boy Selling Cakes*. It portrays a young male figure, barefoot, carrying a woven basket brimming with assorted cakes and fruit. The composition is set against an unadorned white background, directing attention to the figure and his wares.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure, dressed in a dark shirt and blue shorts, holds the basket with one hand while walking, suggesting a street vendor’s routine. The calm expression on his face conveys a sense of ordinary labor rather than dramatized narrative, reflecting everyday commerce.
Technique & Style
The artist employs a limited palette of clear, saturated hues—reds, greens, yellows—to delineate the pastries within the basket. Brushwork remains simple and precise, allowing the forms of the cakes and the boy’s clothing to stand out against the stark background.
History & Provenance
Part of a series of one hundred paintings documenting various trades in Canton, the piece entered the museum’s collection after purchase from the dealers Parsons & Sons. It was formally accessioned in 1898, a date confirmed by the Asia Department’s accession registers and later provenance research conducted in 2022.
Context
The series to which this painting belongs was created to illustrate the diversity of occupations in late eighteenth‑century Canton, offering a visual record of local economic activity. Such genre scenes were common in Chinese export art intended for foreign markets, providing viewers with a glimpse of daily life.
Artist & collection
