Lascars was painted by Unknown in 1800.

Where can I see Lascars?

Lascars is held by Victoria and Albert Museum.

What movement is Lascars?

Lascars is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

Lascars

Unknown , 1800

Lascars is a paint painting by the Romanticist artist Unknown. It dates from 1800 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. The work is a painted representation of a lascar couple, one of a series of fourteen images that portray various castes and occupations.

About this work

Overview

The work is a painted representation of a lascar couple, one of a series of fourteen images that portray various castes and occupations. Set in an open field beneath a cloudy sky, the figures stand opposite each other, surrounded by trees and a yellow ground. The composition emphasizes their distinct attire and tools, highlighting their role within the broader occupational tableau.

Subject & Meaning

The male figure holds a rope bundle and a bag, while the female figure bears a knife and a coiled rope, suggesting shared labor in maritime or dockside tasks traditionally associated with lascars. Their clothing—a white and red checkered sari with gold ornaments for the woman, and a red jacket, gray trousers, and white turban for the man—underscores cultural identity and gendered responsibilities within this occupational group.

Technique & Style

Executed with a Romantic sensibility, the painting employs pronounced chiaroscuro, creating stark light‑dark contrasts that lend depth and a dramatic atmosphere. The artist’s palette balances warm reds and yellows against cooler shadows, while the composition guides the eye across the figures and the surrounding landscape, reinforcing the emotional tenor of the scene.

History & Provenance

The piece belongs to a larger commissioned series intended to document the social hierarchy of castes and professions. Though the exact date and creator are not specified, the work reflects 19th‑century interests in ethnographic illustration and the visual cataloguing of labor roles within colonial contexts.