Object Details
- School/Tradition
- Company school
- 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.
- Provenance
- 19th century-?
- Unidentified individual, probably British, probably commissioned or purchased from an unidentified artist in India [1]
- ?-?
- Ownership information unknown
- ?-1994
- Adrienne Minassian (1913-1994), method of acquisition unknown [1]
- 1994-1999
- Estate of Adrienne Minassian, by descent from Adrienne Minassian [2]
- From 1999
- Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, bequest of Adrienne Minassian [3]
- Notes:
- [1] This Company School picture was probably produced for a British individual, and it was probably taken to the United Kingdom during the nineteenth century.
- [2] See notes titled, “Adrianne Minassian Estate Object List (Notes from 7/24/1995 New York Trip),” copy in object file. Object is described as “No. # Kabuth (Company School).”
- Adrienne Minassian was a dealer in New York, NY specializing in Islamic and Near Eastern art. She was the daughter of the dealer Kirkor Minassian (1874-1944), who had galleries in New York, NY, and France.
- [3] See “Incoming Receipt,” dated July 19, 1997, copy in object file. The object was transferred from the Estate of Adrienne Minassian to the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery for acquisition consideration on July 19, 1997.
- [4] See Arthur M. Sackler, “Acquisition Consideration Form,” approved on March 10, 1999, copy in object file.
- Research updated August 7, 2023
- Collection
- National Museum of Asian Art Collection
- Exhibition History
- Changing Tastes: Indian Paintings of the 18th and 19th Century (December 17, 2000 to July 15, 2001)
- Previous custodian or owner
- Adrienne Minassian (1913-1994)
- Estate of Adrienne Minassian
- Credit Line
- Bequest of Adrienne Minassian
- 19th century
- Accession Number
- S1999.3
- Restrictions & Rights
- Usage conditions apply
- Type
- Painting
- Medium
- Watercolor on paper
- Dimensions
- H x W: 58 x 39.3 cm (22 13/16 x 15 1/2 in)
- Origin
- India
- Related Online Resources
- Google Cultural Institute
- See more items in
- Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Collection
- Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
- Topic
- heron
- India
- South Asian and Himalayan Art
- Record ID
- fsg_S1999.3
- GUID (Link to Original Record)
- http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ye369febc31-7497-4284-85a0-c5d78c03b495
