{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O82215"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O82215/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AH4380/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AH4380/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AH4380","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O82215/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O82215","accessionNumber":"IS.157-1882","objectType":"Painting","titles":[{"title":"Two natch girls, Kashmir","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"William Carpenter was trained at the Royal Academy Schools. He was in India from 1850 t0 1856, during which time he travelled extensively from Bombay (Mumbai) and across western India to Rajasthan, Delhi, Kashmir, Lahore and Afghanistan. His depiction of every day street scenes and groups of people is remarkably accurate and animated, his portraits vividly capturing the character of his sitters and the glowing effects of sunlight as cityscapes and architectural monuments. Brilliantly executed in a range of warm colours, his watercolours evoke a gentle romanticism.\r\n\r\nAfter his return to England, The Illustrated London News published some of his watercolours. In 1881, he exhibited 275 of his paintings in a one-man show in the South Kensington Museum, London. This entire collection was subsequently acquired by the V&A.\r\n\r\nNautch girls were a popular subject for artists and this idealised painting typifies the kind of romantic sentiment that was inspired by the landscapes and people of Kashmir. ","physicalDescription":"Two nautch girls elaborately costumed and bejewelled seated in a terrace, the one on the left smoking a huqqa, with mountains in the distance through the window.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Carpenter, William","id":"A6229"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"AAT251917"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"},{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"}],"techniques":[{"text":"painting","id":"x30598"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Watercolour on paper","categories":[{"text":"Paintings","id":"THES48917"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"SSEA","id":"THES48598"},"images":["2006AH4380"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"003","id":"THES406561"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Painting","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Kashmir","id":"x32584"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"08/1854","earliest":"1854-08-01","latest":"1854-08-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Purchased from William Carpenter","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Width","value":"53.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"38.3","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Kashmere Nautch Srinagar Aug 1854","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"Inscription; decoration","note":"Inscription; decoration"}],"objectHistory":"Historical significance: William Carpenter (1818-99)\r\n\r\nWilliam Carpenter was trained at the Royal Academy Schools, and was the eldest son of the distinguished portrait painter Margaret Sarah Carpenter and William Hookham Carpenter, who became Keeper of the Prints and Drawings Department at the British Museum.  \r\n\r\nHe was in India from 1850 t0 1856, during which time he travelled extensively from Bombay (Mumbai) and across western India to Rajasthan, Delhi, Kashmir, Lahore and Afghanistan. His depiction of every day street scenes and groups of people is remarkably accurate and animated, his portraits vividly capturing the character of his sitters and the glowing effects of sunlight as cityscapes and architectural monuments. Brilliantly executed in a range of warm colours, his watercolours evoke a gentle romanticism.\r\n\r\nAfter his return to England, The Illustrated London News published some of his watercolours. In 1881, he exhibited 275 of his paintings in a one-man show in the South Kensington Museum, London. This entire collection was subsequently acquired by the V&A.\n\nMuseum numbers IS.33-1888 to IS.166-1888 purchased from Mr. Carpenter for £500. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Museum records (Asia Department registers and/or Central Inventory) as part of a 2023 provenance research project.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Painting of two Kashmiri dancing girls by William Carpenter, watercolour on paper, Kashmir, India, 1854","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"Patel, Divia; Rohatgi, Pauline and Godrej, Pheroza, \"Indian Life and Landscape by Western Artists: an exhibition of paintings and drawings from the 17th to the early 20th century organised by the V&A and CSMVS\". Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS), Mumbai and Victoria and Albert Museum, 2008, ISBN:81-901020-8-7","id":"AUTH330101"},"details":"p. 64","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"India observed : India as viewed by British artists 1760-1860 / by Mildred Archer and Ronald Lightbown. London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1982 Number: 0862940249 (pbk), 0905209184 (Victoria and Albert Museum) :","id":"AUTH340189"},"details":"p. 138, cat. no. 161","free":""}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"dancer","id":"AAT25653"},{"text":"Huqqa-smokers","id":"x31685"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"Nautch girls were a popular subject for artists and this idealised painting typifies the kind of romantic sentiment that was inspired by the landscapes and people of Kashmir. ","date":{"text":"1/12/2008","earliest":"2008-12-01","latest":"2008-12-01"}}],"partNumbers":["IS.157-1882"],"accessionNumberNum":"157","accessionNumberPrefix":"IS","accessionYear":1882,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-29","recordCreationDate":"2003-07-11","availableToBook":true}}