A Gray heron

Historical period(s)
19th century
School
Company School
Medium
Watercolor on paper
Dimensions
H x W: 58 x 39.3 cm (22 13/16 x 15 1/2 in)
Geography
India
Credit Line
Bequest of Adrienne Minassian
Collection
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
Accession Number
S1999.3
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Album, Painting
Type

Album leaf with painting

Keywords
heron, India, WWII-era provenance
Provenance
Provenance information is currently unavailable
Label

For the British men and women who went to India, the study of natural history was both scientific inquiry and fashionable pastime. They trained local artists, often skilled court painters seeking new patronage, to record the country's flora and fauna with scientific precision.

The simple composition of the Gray heron watercolor encourages us to savor the wonderfully varied textures of glossy beak, soft feathers, and scaly legs. If the pencil inscription, which misspells the species name Ardea cinera, indicates that the painting was commissioned by an amateur enthusiast of natural history, the gracefully rendered image attests to the collaboration between a discriminating patron and a gifted artist.

Collection Area(s)
South Asian and Himalayan Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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