Painted by a skilled unidentified watercolorist, this work records a well-appointed early nineteenth-century room in India during the East India Company period, as viewed from an adjacent veranda. The two pedestal tables with scrolled, gilded legs are likely European imports, while the caned side chairs and low day bed would have been locally made. Swinging half doors and a punkah (a manually operated hanging cloth fan) encourage air circulation, and tall glass candle shields protect flames from drafts. Arranged to serve multiple functions, this room likely accommodated a single man.
Watercolor
