A Brahmin and his wife

Indian export or Company painting emerged in the latter part of the 18th century when Indian artists who had previously painted for Mughal and Rajput patrons began painting for the European residents of India, many of whom were employed with the British East India Company. British patrons commissioned Indian painters to make detailed images of festivals, architectural sites, natural history studies of flora and fauna and sets of drawing of occupations and customs of the local populations.

Several distinct styles and sub-schools of Company painting developed throughout India as well as regions beyond, such as Sri Lanka and Burma. This painting, like the others in the set included in the collection, show neatly drawn couples of men and women of different castes and occupations, mostly drawn in profile, many holding tools of their trade, set against bright, opaque backgrounds. This painting was most likely made by artists working in the Thanjavur (Tanjore) style and was produced for sale in the British commercial hub of Chennai (Madras).