A Malabar doctor and his wife
1790
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1790
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
A Malabar doctor and his wife is a 1790 paint by Unknown, a Patna School of Painting work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This painting shows a man and woman standing side by side. The man wears a white cloth wrapped around his waist, a colorful turban, and gold earrings. He holds a small object in one hand and rests the other on his hip. The woman has a red skirt with blue trim and gold jewelry around her neck and wrists. Both are barefoot, and the background is a plain blue sky with a dark ground beneath them. The title says this is "A Malabar doctor and his wife," which hints at their roles. The man’s turban and the woman’s jewelry suggest traditional clothing from the region. Look up the Victoria and Albert Museum to see more works like this.
A painting from a set of sixteen depicting castes and occupations features a Malabar doctor and his wife against a plain blue background. The man is dressed in white and carries a bag, while the woman wears a red tie-and-dye sari. The artwork was part of a group with plain blue backgrounds and was transferred from the India Museum in 1879.
Read the full account in the museum source.
