Picture Details
Indigo, watercolour and sepia ink on paper.
Partner:
Kew GardensImage reference:
ILLUS57.01/91.0WOrigin:
Indian SubcontinentArtist / Date:
Unknown, 1809Donor / Date:
1867Size:
360 x 215 mmDescription:
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We know when this illustration was executed (a date corroborated by the watermark '1801'), but like so many illustrations by Indian artists, there is no mention of the person who created it. This is probably the writing of Francis Hamilton (nee Buchanan), Superintendent of the Botanic Garden, Calcutta, 1814-15. Only a handful of artists names exist among Kew's collections of Indian illustrations, and it is often difficult to identify individual styles as copying was common among the artists, the demand for botanical illustrations being so high. Under the Mughal dynasties, miniature painting had provided work for many Indian artists, but as this work diminished towards the end of the 18th Century, skilled miniaturists had to look elsewhere for employment. It is also possible that artists working in the textile industry were also involved in providing paintings of botanical subjects. In addition to the East India Company, European private collectors financed the services of artists to render the native fauna and flora of India, and in some cases the artists would accompany either Company employees or collectors on their travels.
