River Eel
about 1803
Object PlaceProbably Calcutta, Bengal, Eastern India
Medium/TechniqueOpaque watercolor and metallic pigments on European paper
Dimensions50.2 x 67.0 cm (19 3/4 x 26 3/8 in.)
Credit LineKeith McLeod Fund
Accession number2002.40
On View
Not on viewClassificationsDrawings / Watercolors
Collections
The unknown Indian artist who painted a river eel for his British patron, possibly the Marquis Wellesley, Governor-General of Bengal from 1797–1805, rendered its long dorsal fin and scale-less body with exquisite precision. Capturing detail was always critical to Indian painting, but its traditional purpose of setting mood shifted with the rise of British patronage and the demand for documentation of India’s people, creatures, and lands.
Provenance2002, sold by Victoria Munroe, Boston, to the MFA. (Accession date: March 27, 2002)
late 18th century or early 19th century
19th century
19th century
19th century
19th century
About 1820
early 18th century
17th–18th century
about 1790–1800
about 1790–1800