An archer riding a composite horse
1820
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1820
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
An archer riding a composite horse is a 1820 paint by Unknown, a Patna School of Painting work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This painting shows an archer on a horse made of seven women and a demon-like figure. One woman plays a horn. Another drums. A third strums a guitar-like instrument. One claps while two others lounge. Company paintings like this were popular in Delhi around 1820-1830. They were made by Indian artists for Europeans living in India. These artists mixed local styles with European tastes. This work mixes myth, music, and odd shape. See it for yourself at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
An archer is depicted riding a horse composed of seven women and a demon-like figure, with some of the women playing musical instruments or clapping. The horse’s form is created by the intertwined bodies of these figures, two of which lounge idly. Produced around 1820, this work is an example of a Company painting, blending Indian artistic traditions with Western techniques for European patrons. Such composite images were popular in Delhi during the 1820s and 1830s.
Read the full account in the museum source.
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