Oriental dwarf kingfisher
1800
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1800
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Dominant colour
Oriental dwarf kingfisher is a 1800 paint by Unknown, a Patna School of Painting work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This painting shows a bright blue and orange kingfisher perched on a branch. Its small size and vivid colors make it stand out. The artist painted every feather in fine detail, which takes real skill. These images were made for European buyers in China. Artists in Canton sold them in large numbers. People back home loved new animals from faraway places. If you like this, check out the Victoria and Albert Museum.
A rectangular watercolour painting with a simple line border shows an oriental dwarf kingfisher facing left, its plumage blue with orange flecks, perched on a branch bearing long, thin green leaves. Produced in Canton during the 18th or 19th century as part of a trade in natural-history images for European buyers, it was acquired by the Asia Department in 1890 without a recorded source.
Read the full account in the museum source.
