Shops selling colours and garlands of flowers used at festivals, Sadr bazaar, Pune, by William Carpenter, watercolour on paper, India, 1850.

A shop at Puna for the sale of colours and flower garlands used at festivals. Three small children stand in front of the stall examining the goods for sale. There may be a sweet shop on the right.

William Carpenter (ca.1818-1899) travelled through India fro

m 1850-1857 painting portraits and pictures of rulers and their courts and Indian scenery. He travelled to Calcutta via Bombay and Sri Lanka and then up to Delhi and the Punjab frequently dressing in Indian style during his journeys. He stayed in Kashmir from 1854-55, obviously delighting in the scenery and people. Later visiting Afghanistan and then moving south to Rajasthan. On his return to England he exhibited Indian scenes at the Royal Academy between 1857 and 1866.

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