Untitled (Portrait of a Woman in Gray Sari and Veil)
1904
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1904
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Untitled (Portrait of a Woman in Gray Sari and Veil) is a 1904 by Unknown, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
You see a woman in a gray sari and veil, her face turned slightly to the side. The colors look soft, like someone painted over a black-and-white photo. This was a luxury item in early 1900s India. Families paid extra to have photos hand-tinted, making them feel more like painted portraits. It’s a mix of old tradition and new technology. If you like this, look up more under the subject: *india, 20th century*.
This hand-tinted portrait photograph is a modern example of a tradition in Indian painting that extends back to the mid-1800s. Having a photograph hand painted required an extra charge, but made the portraits more lifelike and endowed them with the status of a luxury item, akin to painted portraiture.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Your cart is empty
Explore artworks →
