A cook and his wife
1790
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1790
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
A cook and his wife is a 1790 paint by Unknown, a Romanticism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This painting shows two people standing side by side. The woman on the left wears a light-colored dress and holds a bundle of sticks. The man on the right has on a blue coat with yellow cuffs, a tall hat, and holds a small pot and a feather duster. The background is mostly a plain yellow with a dark blue base. The man’s outfit looks like a mix of European and South Asian styles, which might hint at cultural blending. The painting feels simple but has a warm, earthy tone. Want to see more like this? Check out the Victoria and Albert Museum.
The painting depicts a cook and his wife, one of sixteen works illustrating castes and occupations, set against a plain yellow background. The man, dressed in a grey coat with gold trim, holds a chicken and a kettle, while the woman carries a large fish. Part of a series with two distinct styles—one with blue backgrounds and another with yellow—this work was transferred from the India Museum in 1879. It was included in the 1880 register as part of a set of four framed glazed panels, each containing four colored illustrations.
Read the full account in the museum source.
