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Untitled

Unknown

1715

paint

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Baroque Rococo painting 18th Century Religious

Dominant colour

About this work

This painting shows a group of men in traditional Indian clothing, gathered around a game board. The men are dressed in pink and white robes, with turbans on their heads. One man is holding a fan, while another is kneeling on the ground. The game board is red and white, with a cross-like design. The men are engaged in a game, with some of them looking at the board intently. The background of the painting is a warm orange color, with a white border around the edges. The painting is a beautiful example of Indian art from the Baroque period. To learn more about this style, explore the Baroque movement.

The story of this work

Overview

The painting, executed in opaque watercolor on paper around 1715, depicts a royal figure reclining on a rug propped against a cushion, while an attendant fans him with peacock feathers from behind. Three individuals are seated around a red chaupar board, a game resembling Pachisi, with one player moving a piece toward the central goal. The work was acquired in a group of items from Maggs Bros. for £150, having previously belonged to the collection of Thakur Iswari Singh of Bilaspur, whose family had ties to the former rulers of Bilaspur (1824–1839).

Read the full account in the museum source.