Not currently on display at the V&A

The departure of King Thibaw from Mandalay

Painting
ca. 1887 (painted)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The term ‘Company paintings’ refers to paintings produced by Indian artists for Europeans living and working in the Indian subcontinent. They represent a fusion of traditional Indian artistic styles with conventions and technical features borrowed from western art. Some Company paintings were specially commissioned, while others were virtually mass-produced and could be purchased in bazaars. Schools of Company painting never really developed in the other areas of South and South-East Asia that came under British influence, but occasionally a British officer might commission a local artist to make drawings especially for him.

This is an example of a Company-style painting from Burma (Myanmar), painted, unusually, on cloth rather than paper. It depicts the departure of King Thibaw and Queen Supayalat from Mandalay at the end of the Third Anglo-Burmese War in 1885. In the background, the king is shown seated with ladies in a pavilion - possibly the Lily Throne Room of the Mandalay Palace - within a fenced compound; British soldiers are ranged on either side. In the distance is a river with paddle steamers, the far bank of which is wooded, with many temples. In the foreground are two bullock carriages with the king and members of the royal family setting out on their way into exile in India.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleThe departure of King Thibaw from Mandalay (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Gouache on cotton cloth
Brief description
Painting of the Departure of King Thibaw and Queen Supayalat from Mandalay at the end of the third Anglo-Burmese war in 1885, Unknown artist but probably Burmese. Gouache on cotton cloth. ca.1887
Physical description
Episodic depiction of the departure of King Thibaw and Queen Supayalat from Mandalay at the end of the Third Burma War in 1885.
The first and central scene depicts two pavilions within the inner walls of the Palace of Mandalay. The royal family are shown seated within the larger pavilion to the left in conversation with two British officers. This central group is surrounded by Burmese ministers and groups of Indian and Sikh soldiers.
The second scene shows the royal family departing from the palace in covered bullock carts distinguished with the white umbrellas of Burmese royalty - perhaps Supayalat's mother and the royal children in the first followed by Supayalat and Thibaw in the second. They are accompanied by troops of English and Indian militia - some on horseback.
In the background at the top of the picture one sees the Irrawaddy and two paddle steamships - waiting to take the royal family on the first part of their voyage to exile in India. In the far distance, beyond the river scene, (at the top of the picture) one sees the white pagodas of Sagaing.
Dimensions
  • Height: 79cm
  • Width: 84.5cm
Styles
Credit line
Given by Mrs Iolo Williams
Object history
The scenes in this painting portray to some degree the account of Major Edmond Charles Browne who took part in the annexation of Burma after the third Anglo-Burmese War by the British in 1885/1886. Browne, E.C. "The Coming of the Great Queen": A Narrative of the acquisition of Burma, pp. 174-187

The donor, Mrs. Iola Williams found this Burmese painting in a drawer of a piece of furniture.
Production
Attribution note: The artist of this painting has not been documented but it is thought to be an example where a British officer commissioned a local Burmese artist to make a painting specially for him in a mixed style.
Subjects depicted
Summary
The term ‘Company paintings’ refers to paintings produced by Indian artists for Europeans living and working in the Indian subcontinent. They represent a fusion of traditional Indian artistic styles with conventions and technical features borrowed from western art. Some Company paintings were specially commissioned, while others were virtually mass-produced and could be purchased in bazaars. Schools of Company painting never really developed in the other areas of South and South-East Asia that came under British influence, but occasionally a British officer might commission a local artist to make drawings especially for him.

This is an example of a Company-style painting from Burma (Myanmar), painted, unusually, on cloth rather than paper. It depicts the departure of King Thibaw and Queen Supayalat from Mandalay at the end of the Third Anglo-Burmese War in 1885. In the background, the king is shown seated with ladies in a pavilion - possibly the Lily Throne Room of the Mandalay Palace - within a fenced compound; British soldiers are ranged on either side. In the distance is a river with paddle steamers, the far bank of which is wooded, with many temples. In the foreground are two bullock carriages with the king and members of the royal family setting out on their way into exile in India.
Bibliographic reference
Archer, Mildred. Company Paintings Indian Paintings of the British period Victoria and Albert Museum Indian Series London: Victoria and Albert Museum, Maplin Publishing, 1992 182 p. ISBN 0944142303
Collection
Accession number
IS.13-1958

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Record createdDecember 15, 1999
Record URL
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