Artwork
Chand Bibi, with two court ladies

Chand Bibi, with two court ladies is a paint painting by the Patna School of Painting artist Unknown. It dates from 1800 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. This painting, created circa 1800 for British patrons in India, exemplifies the Company painting tradition.
About this work
Chand Bibi is always shown hawking, even though she died long before the artist was born.
Here’s the painting: three women on horseback in soft light. The woman in front wears a fine veil and holds a hawk. Chand Bibi is always shown hawking, even though she died long before the artist was born.
This is a Company painting, made for British buyers in India around 1800. Artists blended Indian styles with European touches to please foreign tastes.
Look for more like it at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Overview
This painting, created circa 1800 for British patrons in India, exemplifies the Company painting tradition. It depicts Chand Bibi, a historical figure who passed away in 1599, in a characteristic scene.
Subject & Meaning
Chand Bibi, wife of Ali Adil Shah I of Bijapur, is portrayed with two attendants on horseback. Despite her death preceding the artist's birth by centuries, she is conventionally shown engaged in hawking, here holding a hawk while veiled.
Technique & Style
The work blends Indian artistic sensibilities with European influences, catering to 19th-century British tastes in India. Soft lighting unifies the composition, featuring three women on horseback.
History & Provenance
Painted around 1800 for a British audience, this piece is part of a collection of similar works found at institutions like the Victoria and Albert Museum, reflecting the cultural exchange of the time.
Artist & collection



















