Indian Company School Mica Painting, Budgerow Boat on the Ganges – Early 19th-century gouache
Indian Company School Mica Painting, Budgerow Boat on the Ganges – Early 19th-century gouache
Indian Company School Mica Painting, Budgerow Boat on the Ganges – Early 19th-century gouache

Indian Company School Budgerow Boat on the Ganges

€962,95
€962,95
Épuisé
View the full Collection: Indian Mica Paintings

An original early 19th-century gouache painting on mica – Indian Company School, Budgerow Boat on the Ganges.

An unusual Indian Company School painting on mica depicting a Budgerow boat, a large river boat used for journeys on the Ganges. This is one of a pair of Patna School boat paintings on mica that we have for sale (see stock number KE-063).

Budgerow boats were heavy, keelless, flat-bottomed houseboats on the Ganges, primarily used for luxury passenger travel for wealthy Indian families or East India Company officials. In the scene depicted, the boat is travelling under sail, with the large steering oar at the stern. There are numerous crew and staff on board.

Indian Company paintings on mica are rare; it is estimated that as of now, there are only around 7,000 mica paintings available in the world. This painting being a boat subject is particularly rare.

The mica is loose with no mount or backing.

+ Read the S&W Collection Research

Indian Mica Paintings

Indian mica paintings featured a wide range of subject matter, including Hindu gods and goddesses, religious events, trades people and flora and fauna of the subcontinent. They were very popular around the middle of the nineteenth century, being produced for the colonial tourist market: they imitated paintings on glass, which were popular in Europe at the time.

Mica paintings are generally small, and painted in gouache on one side of very thin, flexible sheets. Mica is a transparent mineral which is found throughout south India. The mica is formed between strata of granite, and the transparency of the material is a result of the heat and pressure created between layers of rock. Mica consists of many interlocking platelets, resulting in a laminar structure which can be split easily into thin sheets.

The appeal of mica as a support for painting is due to its very smooth surface: the paint sits on it without sinking in, making the colours very intense. Mica is a very brittle substance, however, meaning that it is relatively rare to find examples in perfect condition.

COA
+ Artwork Details

Dimensions: Height: 13cm (5.12") Width: 16.4cm (6.46")

Presented: Unframed.

Medium: Gouache

Age: Early 19th-century

Signed: No.

Inscribed: No.

Dated: --

Condition: Overall in good condition for its age. Some small spots of minor paint flaking to the water verso and within the sail lines (ropes). Some further spotted paint marks and smudges. Please see photos for detail.

Stock number: KE-064