{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O105530"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O105530/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2007BM6436/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2007BM6436/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2007BM6436","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2021NB4145","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O105530/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O105530","accessionNumber":"IM.45-1928","objectType":"Painting","titles":[{"title":"Concluding ceremony before lighting the Funeral Pyre","type":"assigned by artist"}],"summaryDescription":"The painting shown here dates from 1923 and depicts the final rites before the lighting of the pyre of the Prince Regent’s brother and sister, Bangli Regency, Bali. To the right of the picture is the stepped, four-sided, pyramidal pyre, surmounted by a square canopy, beneath which the two coffins repose on a rectangular plinth. The fire has already been lighted, and from the left, beneath the shadow of a huge tree, two processions of women bearing baskets and bowls of offerings on their heads approach to ascend the steps in order to cast the offerings into the fire. Palms and other trees fill the background.","physicalDescription":"To the right of the picture is the stepped, four-sided, pyramidal pyre, surmounted by a square canopy, beneath which the two coffins repose on a rectangular plinth. The fire has already been lighted, and from the left, beneath the shadow of a huge tree, two processions of women bearing baskets and bowls of offerings on their heads approach to ascend the steps in order to cast the offerings into the fire. Palms and other trees fill the background.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Tharle-Hughes, Elfrida","id":"A13555"},"association":{"text":"artist","id":"AAT25103"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"pencil (marking material)","id":"THES398741"},{"text":"ink","id":"AAT15012"},{"text":"pastel (material)","id":"THES406241"},{"text":"watercolour (paint)","id":"AAT15045"},{"text":"paper (fiber product)","id":"AAT14109"}],"techniques":[{"text":"drawing (image-making)","id":"AAT54196"},{"text":"watercolour painting (technique)","id":"THES250889"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Pencil, pen and ink, pastel or chalk, and watercolour","categories":[{"text":"Paintings","id":"THES48917"},{"text":"Death","id":"THES48970"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"SSEA","id":"THES48598"},"images":["2007BM6436","2021NB4145"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"004","id":"THES403503"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Painting","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Bali","id":"x32033"},"association":{"text":"sketched","id":"AAT53576"},"note":""},{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"painted","id":"AAT54216"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1923","earliest":"1923-01-01","latest":"1923-12-31"},"association":{"text":"sketched","id":"AAT53576"},"note":""},{"date":{"text":"1923-1925","earliest":"1923-01-01","latest":"1925-12-31"},"association":{"text":"painted","id":"AAT54216"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by the artist","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"58.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"38.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"15/05/2013 dimensions measured as part of Indian Paintings Cataloguing Project 2013. ","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Elfrida Tharle-Hughes.-. | The performance of the final ceremonial rites before lighting the funeral-pyre of the brother and sister of the Prince-Regent of Bangli State, Bali Island,, in 1923. | Given by the artist.","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""},{"content":"'Elfrida Tharle-Hughes'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Signed by the artist on bottom right."}],"objectHistory":"Part of a series of drawings (IM.42 to 45-1928) in watercolours by Elfrida Tharle-Hughes depicting the cremation ceremonies of a prince and princess of Bangli State, Bali Island, Dutch East Indies.\r\n\r\nAccording to the artist, the date of the actual cremation was 7th September, 1923, but the watercolours were done in London (from sketches of backgrounds and compositions done at the time in Bangli) in time for her exhibition at the Redfern Gallery in Bond Street, London in May 1925.  The artist also claimed to be the first European artist who had been given full facilities for making paintings of this subject. \r\n\r\nElfrida Tharle-Hughes (1874-1950) was an English artist, born in Ryde, Isle of Wight on the 25th April 1874.  She had two siblings, Esther (1871) and Reggie (1873).  They were the only grand-children of Jabez Hughes (1819-84), Photographer to Queen Victoria whilst at Osborne House, and lived at Jabez’s photographic studio at 60-60 ½ Union Street, Ryde.  Her family name was originally ‘Hughes’, added ‘Tharle’ in1921 in gratitude to her mother for the sacrifices she made bringing her up after their Father’s premature death at 35.\r\n\r\nElfrida received art training at the Slade School of Fine Art in London and ateliers in Paris.  She spent two years travelling to Asia, including China, Japan, Korea, India, Burma, Thailand and Indonesia in the 1920s and had produced several drawings in watercolours, of which she donated five pictures to the V&A in 1928.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Concluding ceremony before lighting the Funeral Pyre, pencil and water-colour on paper, by Elfrida Tharle-Hughes, 1923-25","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Salaman, Malcolm C. “A gossip about prints and watercolours” in Apollo: A journal of the Arts, Vol. 1, No. 1, January 1925, pp. 295-299."}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[{"text":"death","id":"x30761"}],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["IM.45-1928"],"accessionNumberNum":"45","accessionNumberPrefix":"IM","accessionYear":1928,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-08-26","recordCreationDate":"2004-09-21","availableToBook":true}}