Picture Details
Hemp leaves, watercolour on paper.
Partner:
Kew GardensImage reference:
ILLUS153.04/2.0Origin:
Indian SubcontinentArtist / Date:
Unknown, 1750-1800Donor / Date:
1919Size:
472 x 299 mmDescription:
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The inscription refers to Claude Martin (1735-1800), who was a soldier, architect, surveyor, gun-smith, banker and botanist. He was also a connoisseur and patron of the arts, and a shrewd businessman, taking advice on art from his friend Johann Zoffany. He amassed a fortune while living in India, and commissioned local artists to produce illustrations of the indigenous plants and animals. The leaves have been painted with several layers of semi-opaque pigment; further details such as the veins being picked out with a fine brush. An impression of the leaves thickness has been achieved by the addition of a narrow, dark line along the edge of individual lobes. The religious and medicinal significance of hemp has ensured its appearance in Indian miniature painting and literature for centuries.
