Artwork

One of twenty-one drawings of various types of indigenous conveyance in Poona showing side view and section.

One of twenty-one drawings of various types of indigenous conveyance in Poona showing side view and section. is a drawing by the Impressionist artist Unknown. It dates from 1870 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. This drawing is one of a set of twenty‑one sketches that document local modes of transport in Poona.

About this work

Overview

This drawing is one of a set of twenty‑one sketches that document local modes of transport in Poona. Executed in a side‑profile and sectional format, it records a figure propelling a single‑wheel wooden barrow loaded with stones. The composition rests against a uniform light‑brown ground, emphasizing the functional simplicity of the scene.

Subject & Meaning

The figure, dressed in a loincloth and a modest head covering, represents an everyday laborer engaged in moving heavy material. The detailed rendering of each stone in the barrow underscores the physical effort involved, offering a visual study of indigenous work practices rather than an idealized narrative.

Technique & Style

Rendered with precise line work, the drawing balances contour and interior detail to convey texture—particularly in the wooden wheel and the individual rocks. The side‑view and sectional approach provides a clear mechanical understanding of the conveyance, reflecting a utilitarian aesthetic common to ethnographic illustration of the period.

History & Provenance

Created as part of a systematic series cataloguing Poona’s native transport methods, the work likely served a documentary purpose for scholars or colonial administrators. Its association with a broader collection of twenty‑one similar drawings situates it within a concerted effort to record regional material culture in the 19th‑century visual record.