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Depictions of a Red-headed merlin and a Laggar falcon 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 Red-headed merlin and a Laggar falcon 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 drawing shows a bird perched on a small ledge. Its feathers are mostly brown and gray, with a lighter chest and a sharp, focused eye. The background is a faded, paper-like color with some torn edges. The bird is labeled as a falcon, likely from Northern India. Its feathers are drawn with simple lines and soft shading. Look up Romanticism to see how nature and animals were often shown in this style.

The story of this work

Overview

Two watercolor studies from 1820 depict a red-headed merlin and a laggar falcon native to northern India. The sheets were presented in 1929 by Robert Scott Greenshields, who served in the Indian Civil Service across Bengal and Assam from 1879 to 1910.

Read the full account in the museum source.