A Brahmin story-teller and his wife
1790
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1790
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
A Brahmin story-teller and his wife is a 1790 paint by Unknown, a Patna School of Painting work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This painting shows two people standing side by side against a flat blue background. The person on the left is a woman dressed in a white and red outfit with gold jewelry, holding a yellow fan. The person on the right is a man in a white robe with red and gold trim, wearing a tall, pointed hat and holding a scroll. Both are barefoot, and the man’s hand is raised in a gesture. The woman’s pose and the man’s scroll suggest he might be telling a story, which matches the painting’s title. The bright colors and simple shapes give it a clear, almost storybook feel. Look up Romanticism to see how this style used emotion and imagination in art.
The painting depicts a Brahmin story-teller and his wife against a plain blue background, part of a series of six caste and occupation scenes. The man wears a red and blue cap turned up at the back and holds a palm-leaf manuscript, while his wife carries a bundle. It was transferred from the India Museum in 1879 and later recorded in the 1880 Register Entry as two framed sets of six colored illustrations, presented by P. F. Campbell-Johnston.
Read the full account in the museum source.
