Calcutta (Eastern India)
Opaque watercolour on European paper
The nutmeg is native to the Moluccas, or Spice Islands, of Indonesia and is principally cultivated there and also in the West Indies. The spice nutmeg has a distinctive pungent fragrance and a warm slightly sweet taste. The fleshy arils surrounding the nutmeg seed are the source of the spice mace.
The term ‘Company Painting’ has come to be used by art historians for a special type of Indian painting which was produced for mainly British patrons. It was an attempt by Indian artists to adjust their styles to British needs and to paint subjects that appealed to them. They first made an appearance in the Madras Presidency in the mid-18th century and subsequently in Murshidabad, Patna, Benares, Calcutta, Delhi, Punjab, and Western India. The paintings depict in great detail the architecture, costumes, trades, modes of transport, festivals, customs, and flora and fauna of the period. They thus also served as authentic records—used to illustrate letters, journals, travel narratives, and more—and remain invaluable documents of a way of life that had endured for centuries but is now rapidly vanishing.
Botanical watercolours were painted by Indian artists for European patrons in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, often to document plant and animal species. While their scientific content has since been absorbed into standard texts, their value now lies in their historical and artistic merit. These works reflect the British enthusiasm for natural history during this period, whether commissioned for personal enjoyment or scientific study.
Painting Size (cms): 28.5(H) x 22.5(W)
Painting Size (inches): 11(H) x 9(W)
