Artwork Page for Fancy Group, Indore I

Details / Information for Fancy Group, Indore I

Fancy Group, Indore I

1886

Raja Deen Dayal

(Indian, 1844–1905)
View all records in artwork set
Culture
India
Medium
albumen print
Measurements
Image: 12.4 x 19.9 cm (4 7/8 x 7 13/16 in.); Paper: 12.4 x 19.9 cm (4 7/8 x 7 13/16 in.)
Credit Line
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 2016.266.34
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

Description

Entertainments at “fancy dress” or costume parties often included amateur theatricals or tableaux vivants—static scenes drawn from literature, history, or artworks. Here, Deen Dayal captured three moments distilled from a popular novel or play. The guests—all middle or upper class—perform as characters ranging from the working class to ladies and gentlemen. The woman holding a bucket labeled “Emma Brown of Margate” was likely playing a fishwife selling her husband’s catch. Because the photographic technology of the time required strong daylight, the photographs would have been made on a separate occasion, not at the party.
A horizontally oriented sepia-toned albumen print depicts five people with light skin tones in a theatrical interior. On the left, a woman in a striped dress stands beside a man in a dark suit. Centrally, a man reclines in a chair near a bottle. To the right, a bearded man gestures toward a woman in an apron holding a box labeled "EMMA BROWN MARGATE." The scene is staged against a simple backdrop.

Fancy Group, Indore I

1886

Raja Deen Dayal

(Indian, 1844–1905)
India

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