A Chinese Serow (Capricornis milneedwardsi argyrochaetes)

Unknown

ca. 1800 · Ink and watercolor on paper · Islamic Art

The naturalistic treatment of this Chinese Serow, a type of goat-antelope, follows the aesthetic approach Indian artists had taken since the seventeenth century to communicate the wonder of the natural world. The animal is exquisitely rendered in isolation from a context or setting, allowing the viewer to focus on the fine detail of the painting. ‘Company School’ paintings satisfied the British taste for documenting the natural world; this example was probably created in Calcutta, Bengal.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1800

Medium

Ink and watercolor on paper

Department

Islamic Art

Credit line

Purchase, Bequest of Henrie Jo Barth, 2019