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Procession for Holy Water returning to the Poeri

Elfrida Tharle-Hughes

1923

paint

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Art Nouveau Early Modern

Dominant colour

Procession for Holy Water returning to the Poeri is a 1923 paint by Elfrida Tharle-Hughes, a Art Nouveau work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

Who painted this?: Elfrida Tharle-Hughes
When & what style?: 1923 · Art Nouveau
Where can I see it?: Victoria and Albert Museum

About this work

This painting shows a group of people carrying tall, colorful banners with bright yellow, red, and blue stripes. They’re walking up steps toward a temple-like building with carved stone statues on either side. The people wear simple cloths wrapped around their bodies, and the scene feels busy but orderly. The banners look like they’re part of a ceremony, possibly for holy water. The artist used bold colors and clear shapes to make everything stand out. If you like this style, check out the Victoria and Albert Museum to see more works by Tharle-Hughes.

The story of this work

Overview

The watercolour depicts a ceremonial procession of young women carrying holy water and ritual objects toward the death chamber of the prince and princess of Bangli State, Bali, as part of the rites preceding their royal cremation. Created in London from on-site sketches, the work was completed in time for an exhibition at the Redfern Gallery in May 1925. It is one of five related watercolours donated to the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1928. The artist, Elfrida Tharle-Hughes, trained at the Slade School of Fine Art and ateliers in Paris before travelling extensively in Asia during the 1920s.

Read the full account in the museum source.