Artwork

One of sixty-three paintings depicting occupations, festivals and ships.

One of sixty-three paintings depicting occupations, festivals and ships. is a paint painting by the Romanticist artist Unknown. It dates from 1830 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

About this work

Overview

Around 1830 an anonymous artist produced a series of sixty‑three paintings that document everyday occupations, festive scenes and maritime subjects. The work under discussion belongs to this group and depicts a seated figure strumming a guitar, accompanied by a dog, against a stylised backdrop of undulating lines suggesting water or wind.

Subject & Meaning

The central figure is dressed in dark attire with a light‑coloured collar and striped sleeves, emphasizing a modest, perhaps working‑class presence. The inclusion of the dog and the relaxed posture convey a moment of leisure within a broader social tableau, reflecting the series' aim to record diverse aspects of contemporary life.

Technique & Style

Executed entirely in white pigment on a deep, uniform ground, the composition relies on stark contrast to define forms. This monochrome approach heightens the silhouette of the musician and the animal, while the fluid, wavy lines of the background create a sense of movement and atmospheric depth without resorting to colour.

History & Provenance

The painting entered the collection of W. G. Archer after he purchased the series in Patna in 1948 from Ishwari Prasad, a local painter who asserted that the works had been handed down through his Murshidabad ancestors as reference material. Their provenance thus links the pieces to a lineage of regional artistic practice.