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Depictions of a Plumbeous redstart and a Kingfisher of Northern India

Unknown

1820

paint

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Patna School of Painting Romanticism Early 19th Century Animal

Dominant colour

Depictions of a Plumbeous redstart and a Kingfisher of Northern India is a 1820 paint by Unknown, a Patna School of Painting work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

Who painted this?: Unknown
When & what style?: 1820 · Patna School of Painting
Where can I see it?: Victoria and Albert Museum

About this work

This painting shows a bright green bird perched on a rock, its wings slightly spread. Next to it sits a smaller bird with a black head and pink chest, resting on two smooth, striped stones. The background is plain, letting the colors pop. The artist focused on the birds’ details—like the redstart’s speckled chest and the kingfisher’s sharp beak. The rocks look real, with subtle shading to show texture. Look up Romanticism to see how artists used nature to spark emotion.

The story of this work

Overview

This watercolor painting from 1820 depicts a Plumbeous redstart and a Kingfisher native to Northern India. It was presented in 1929 by Robert Scott Greenshields, who served in the Indian Civil Service in Bengal and Assam from 1879 to 1910.

Read the full account in the museum source.