A Green-winged Teal
ca. 1730
Classification
Painting
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchase and partial gift from the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection â funds provided by the Friends of the National Museum of Asian Art
Accession Number
S2018.1.12
Tags
About this artwork
This colored drawing speaks to an Indian tradition of depicting waterfowl that seems to have begun with the illustrated Baburnamas of the late sixteenth century and that precedes the colonial-period Company paintings of flora and fauna on unpainted grounds.
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...