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South and Southeast Asia

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Image of A flamingo

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Bookmark: https://collection.sdmart.org/objects-1/info/17535

A flamingo


Creation date: ca. 1780
Creation place: India

Other Information

Type: Watercolor Painting
Medium and Support: Opaque watercolor on paper
Credit Line: Edwin Binney 3rd Collection
Accession Number: 1990.1368
State/Province: West Bengal
Dimensions: 27 5/8 in. x 20 15/32 in. (70.2 cm x 52 cm)

Provenance

R. Wilson, London, England (February 14, 1968 - February 14, 1968)

Edwin Binney 3rd, San Diego, California (February 14, 1968 - August 27, 1990)

San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego, California (August 27, 1990 - )

Label Copy

The artist selected a subdued palette of browns with hints of pale blue that would have appealed to British collectors of the late 18th century. he labeled the flamingo in the Urdu language at the bottom of the page as hansa, which is a general term for an aquatic bird.

In contrast to the depiction of the hoopoes from an earlier imperial album a the left, the grandeur of this page lies in its scale, starkly blank background, and imported paper of the hightest quality. East India Company personnel, particularly during the last quarter of the 18th century, compiled such paintings into large-scale natural history albums, which viewers both in India and in Britain eagerly marveled at, studied and collected.

In the Company Manner (2009), SDMA Gallery Rotation
A flamingo would have been regarded as a marvel by the British pursuers of the album in which this painting was included, both among the Company community in India as well as at home in England upon their return. In contrast to the depiction of the hoopoes from an imperial Mughal album at the left, the grandeur of this page lies in its size and starkly blank background rather than the richly adorned gem-like presentation of the Mughal miniature.
The anonymous artist labeled the flamingo in Urdu at the bottom of the page as hansa, which is a general term for an aquatic bird. He used Indian brushes and pigments on imported European paper, which has visible laid lines and a watermark reading: J.W. Hatman. Like most of his contemporaries, he created to the taste among British collectors of the late eighteenth century for a subdued palette of brown with hints of pale blue.


Last Updated: 9/5/2017

Exhibition

This object was included in the following exhibitions:

In the Company Manner: Indian-British Painting ca. 1770-1890 (Binney Rotation) , 3/28/2009 - 9/27/2009

Into India: South Asian Paintings from The San Diego Museum of Art San Diego Museum of Art , 2/28/2012 - 5/27/2012

Bibliography

This object has the following bibliographic references:

Catalogue of Oriental Manuscripts and Miniatures, Sotheby & Co.. London, England, February 14, 1968
Page Number: 6 Lot no. 4

Dr. Sonya Quintanilla and Patrick Coleman. Visiones de la India Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza. Madrid, 2012
Page Number: 212, 292-3, Figure Number: cat. 94, p. 213

Dr. Sonya Quintanilla and Patrick Coleman. Visiones de la India (Mexico) Instituto Nacional de Antropologia e Historia. Mexico , 2013
Page Number: 138, Figure Number: cat. 92, p. 139

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South and Southeast Asia

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