Artwork

Depictions of a Mallard and Australian black-fronted plover of Northern India

Depictions of a Mallard and Australian black-fronted plover 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. The album page contains two separate waterfowl sketches rendered on stained paper, each occupying opposite sides.

About this work

Overview

The album page contains two separate waterfowl sketches rendered on stained paper, each occupying opposite sides. One illustration portrays a Mallard, while the other records an Australian black‑fronted plover, known locally as the stone plover. Both studies are modest in size, set against a sparse, dry landscape, and are marked with handwritten labels identifying the species.

Subject & Meaning

The Mallard study captures the bird in a standing pose, its long neck and pointed bill emphasized against a minimal backdrop of scattered vegetation. The plover sketch similarly isolates the bird, highlighting its gray‑white plumage and distinctive form. The sparse setting suggests an interest in the anatomy and field identification of the species rather than narrative context.

Technique & Style

Executed with ink or watercolor on heavily stained, torn paper, the drawings employ simple line work and limited shading to define feather texture and contour. The paper’s aged appearance, with stains and edge wear, contributes to a documentary quality, while the handwritten captions—"Korinak" above the Mallard and "Australian stone plover" below the second—provide immediate taxonomic reference.

History & Provenance

The two sketches were presented in 1929 by Robert Scott Greenshields, a former member of the Indian Civil Service who served in Bengal and Assam from 1879 to 1910. Greenshields’ contribution reflects his continued engagement with natural history after his administrative career, and the works now reside within the Victoria and Albert Museum’s collection of early twentieth‑century field sketches.