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Cheif [sic]wrestler at Kabul

Godfrey Thomas Vigne

1836

watercolor

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Orientalism Romanticism Early 19th Century

Dominant colour

Cheif [sic]wrestler at Kabul is a 1836 watercolor by Godfrey Thomas Vigne, a Orientalism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

Who painted this?: Godfrey Thomas Vigne
When & what style?: 1836 · Orientalism
Where can I see it?: Victoria and Albert Museum

About this work

This drawing shows a shirtless man with a beard lifting two heavy weights—one in each hand. He’s wearing loose, dark pants with light blue designs on the knees and a white cloth tied around his waist. His bare feet rest on a plain background, and the colors are simple: earthy tones for his skin, dark for his pants, and bright blue for the knee patches. The artist wrote “Cheif wrestler at Kabul” at the bottom, hinting this might be a wrestler from that region. The style feels loose and sketchy, like a quick study rather than a polished work. Next, check out the Victoria and Albert Museum to see more works like this.

The story of this work

Overview

A watercolour drawing titled *Chief Wrestler at Kabul* was created in 1836 by Godfrey Thomas Vigne. The work is documented in Vigne’s 1840 publication *A Personal Narrative of a Visit to Ghuzni, Kabul, And Afghanistan*, and related sketches are held in an album at the India Office Library and Records. It was acquired in May 1971 from Henry D'Olier Vigne, the artist’s great-nephew, for £200.

Read the full account in the museum source.