1872
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Dominant colour
Woman holding a fish is a 1872 paint by John Griffiths, a Impressionism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This painting shows a woman in a dark dress holding a large, shiny fish. The background fades into soft light and shadow. The fish looks almost too big for her hands. Griffiths painted this in India where he worked at an art school. He met Rudyard Kipling’s family there. The fish might symbolize luck or food in Indian culture. The woman’s quiet focus makes the scene feel real. If you like this, look up Griffiths, John.
A side view depicts a woman balancing a fish on her head while wearing a sari draped around her legs and a striped blouse. The drawing demonstrates the artist's attention to local dress and posture. It was transferred from the India Museum in 1879 and listed in the 1880 register as part of a set of seventeen drawings by J. Griffiths.
Read the full account in the museum source.
John Griffiths (29 November 1837 – 1 December 1918) was a Welsh artist who worked in India, noted for his Orientalist works.
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