Artwork

Depictions of a Coppersmith and a Red jungle-fowl of Northern India

Depictions of a Coppersmith and a Red jungle-fowl of Northern India is a paint painting by the Patna School of Painting artist Unknown. It dates from 1820 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

About this work

This painting shows two Indian scenes side by side. A man works a glowing copper pot with a hammer. Next to him, a bright red jungle fowl stands on green grass.

Someone painted this around 1820. It looks like it came from a workshop that made many small pictures for travelers.

Want to see more? Look up the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Overview

This 1820 watercolor painting from Northern India presents two juxtaposed scenes: a coppersmith engaged in his craft and a red jungle-fowl in profile, showcased side by side in a single composition.

Subject & Meaning

The painting captures everyday life and fauna of Northern India. The coppersmith, absorbed in shaping a glowing copper pot, highlights the region's artisanal traditions, while the red jungle-fowl, standing amidst greenery, represents the local wildlife.

Technique & Style

Executed in watercolor, the work reflects the style of Northern Indian workshops that produced small, illustrative paintings for travelers, characterized by vivid colors and detailed depictions of subjects.

History & Provenance

Acquired by the collection through a 1929 donation by Robert Scott Greenshields, a member of the Indian Civil Service (1879-1910) in Bengal and Assam, indicating the painting's likely origin as a souvenir for European collectors.

Context

Part of a broader tradition of Indian miniature and travel paintings, this work would have appealed to 19th-century European travelers' interest in documenting and collecting representations of Indian life and nature.

Legacy

Now referenced in conjunction with similar holdings at institutions like the Victoria and Albert Museum, this painting contributes to the understanding and appreciation of early 19th-century Northern Indian artistic practices and their intersection with colonial-era cultural exchange.