Chinese Pink
1780
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1780
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Dominant colour
Chinese Pink is a 1780 paint by Unknown, a Patna School of Painting work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This painting shows a Chinese pink flower. It's one of 24 paintings in a set, each with the Chinese name of the plant written on it. These paintings were interesting to British botanists who wanted to learn about new plants from other countries. The detail and care in this painting suggest a strong interest in exploring foreign flora, similar to the technique of chiaroscuro.
A rectangular watercolor depicts a cluster of pink flowers with small green leaves against a largely plain background, the lower half suggesting grass. Part of a set of 24, each work bears the Chinese name of the plant. The series reflects 18th-century British interest in unfamiliar flora and fauna, often brought back by travelers as paintings rather than live specimens. Acquired from E. Parsons, it was accessioned in 1889 as recorded in the Asia Department registers.
Read the full account in the museum source.
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