Johan Zoffany

Colonel Blair with his Family and an Indian Ayah

1786

Image released under Creative Commons CC-BY-NC-ND (3.0 Unported)

License this image

Not on display
Artist
Johan Zoffany 1733–1810
Medium
Oil paint on canvas
Dimensions
Unconfirmed: 965 x 1346 mm
frame: 1247 x 1635 x 78 mm
Collection
Tate
Acquisition
Bequeathed by Simon Sainsbury 2006, accessioned 2008
Reference
T12610

Display caption

William Blair was a Colonel in the East India Company who commanded the brigade at Cawnpore. Zoffany paints him with his wife Jane and daughters, the elder also called Jane at the piano, and Maria feeding a cat held by an Indian girl.

In the background are three paintings: a large hill scene, and two of Indian customs which fascinated and horrified westerners. One shows wood being piled for suttee, the burning alive of a widow, and the other a religious ritual of appeasement called Charak Puja in which a man is suspended by a wire between the shoulder blades.

Gallery label, October 2013

Does this text contain inaccurate information or language that you feel we should improve or change? We would like to hear from you.

Conversation piece

Explore

You might like

Left Right
Johan Zoffany, ‘Mr and Mrs Dalton and their Niece Mary de Heulle’ c.1765–8

Johan Zoffany Mr and Mrs Dalton and their Niece Mary de Heulle

c.1765–8
On display at Tate Britain part of Walk Through British Art
Sir Joshua Reynolds, ‘Sketch for ‘The 4th Duke of Marlborough and his Family’’ c.1777

Sir Joshua Reynolds Sketch for ‘The 4th Duke of Marlborough and his Family’

c.1777
Johan Zoffany, ‘The Bradshaw Family’ exhibited 1769

Johan Zoffany The Bradshaw Family

exhibited 1769
On display at Tate Britain part of Walk Through British Art
John Hamilton Mortimer, ‘George Thompson, his Wife and (?) his Sister-in-Law’ c.1766–8

John Hamilton Mortimer George Thompson, his Wife and (?) his Sister-in-Law

c.1766–8
Johan Zoffany, ‘Colonel Mordaunt’s Cock Match’ c.1784–6

Johan Zoffany Colonel Mordaunt’s Cock Match

c.1784–6
On display at Tate Britain part of Walk Through British Art
Johan Zoffany, ‘A Florentine Fruit Stall’ c.1777

Johan Zoffany A Florentine Fruit Stall

c.1777
John Singleton Copley, ‘The Fountaine Family’ ?1776

John Singleton Copley The Fountaine Family

?1776
Johan Zoffany, ‘Three Daughters of John, 3rd Earl of Bute’ c.1763–4

Johan Zoffany Three Daughters of John, 3rd Earl of Bute

c.1763–4
Johan Zoffany, ‘Charles Macklin as Shylock’ c.1768

Johan Zoffany Charles Macklin as Shylock

c.1768
George Romney, ‘The Beaumont Family’ 1777–9

George Romney The Beaumont Family

1777–9
Johan Zoffany, ‘Three Sons of John, 3rd Earl of Bute’ c.1763–4

Johan Zoffany Three Sons of John, 3rd Earl of Bute

c.1763–4
On display at Tate Britain part of Walk Through British Art
John Constable, ‘The Bridges Family’ 1804

John Constable The Bridges Family

1804
Johan Zoffany, ‘Stephen Rimbault’ 1764

Johan Zoffany Stephen Rimbault

1764
Hugh Barron, ‘The Children of George Bond of Ditchleys’ 1768

Hugh Barron The Children of George Bond of Ditchleys

1768
Johan Zoffany, ‘Thomas Gainsborough’ c.1772

Johan Zoffany Thomas Gainsborough

c.1772