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Depictions of Impeyan pheasant (male) and a Western horned pheasant 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 Impeyan pheasant (male) and a Western horned pheasant 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 single bird standing on a plain, light-brown background. The bird has dark gray feathers speckled with white dots, a reddish-brown neck, and a sharp black crest on its head. Its legs are pink, and it faces to the right, looking alert. The paper is aged and slightly torn, with a few handwritten words in ink near the top. One word, *"phidger,"* might be a clue to the bird’s name. If you like detailed animal paintings, check out the Victoria and Albert Museum.

The story of this work

Overview

Two watercolor depictions from 1820 show a male Impeyan pheasant and a Western horned pheasant native to Northern India. The works 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.