Artwork Page for Dog Walker

Details / Information for Dog Walker

Dog Walker

early 1830s
This object has related works. See

British India, Lucknow

Medium
gum tempera and ink on paper
Measurements
Overall: 22.2 x 15.9 cm (8 3/4 x 6 1/4 in.)
Credit Line
Seventy-fifth anniversary gift of William E. Ward in memory of his wife, Evelyn Svec Ward 1992.143
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
Not on view
Print
?

Did You Know?

William Ward worked as an exhibition designer at the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Description

Made for a set that would have been sold to a British East India Company affiliate, this painting by an Indian artist depicts an Indian servant attempting to comply with the British convention of walking dogs on a leash. He seems resigned to accommodating British wishes, but without a natural understanding of how to do so properly. Similarly, the artist creates a cursory landscape setting and awkward shadows under the figures to accord with the preferences of British collectors for spatial depth and realism, but these were not elements of traditional Indian painting, and they appear as half-hearted and unsuccessful as the dog walk.
A vertically oriented gum tempera and ink painting depicts a man with a medium-dark skin tone walking four thin dogs across a sandy landscape. Wearing a blue and red turban, blue shorts, and a red sash, he holds a stick and four leashes. Two white and tan dogs lead left, while two tan dogs follow to our right. A pale blue sky occupies the upper half, all framed by a yellow border.

Dog Walker

early 1830s

British India, Lucknow

See Also

Visually Similar by AI

Contact Us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please fill out the appropriate request form linked below:

Update or Correct Artwork Information

Imagery or Rights for Non-Open-Access Artworks

Report a Website Issue

Further Questions About This Artwork