Caption

Two labourers, sketchbook page, Outside on uneven terrain, two men are sitting on the ground with their knees drawn up. Both men are wearing a loincloth (veshti, lungi) lifted to above the knees; they have wrapped a large shawl (chadar) around their upper bodies and arms. The man sitting on the left rests his covered left elbow on his left knee. The man on the right appears to be holding his arms folded in front of his chest under the shawl. His feet are standing firmly in front of him on the sloping ground. The hair of both men is short-cropped or shaved. The men are likely from South India and were put to work in Colombo on the reconstruction. It is possible that it is the same man, drawn twice. Sheet 45 from a sketchbook with 117 sheets., draftsman (artist): Esaias Boursse, Sri Lanka, 1662, draftsman (artist), South Asia, materials by function, paper, ink, brush, brush in gray, height 148 mm x width 196 mm, Asiatic races and peoples: Indians, 41D232, skirt (LUNGI), head-gear (with NAME), overseas history, Colombo, Period, 1662 - 1670, A pencil drawing shows two seated figures on a rocky surface, both wrapped in draped cloth. The figure on the left is seen from behind, hunched with wrapped shoulders and a short cropped hairstyle. The figure on the right faces forward with a detailed, lined face and short hair, cloth wrapped across the torso and over one shoulder, one knee drawn up and one foot flat on the ground, the feet and lower legs rendered with visible musculature and toes. The rocky ground beneath them is sketched with shadows and irregular stones, and the background is a plain, lightly textured expanse.

Credit line

Photo12/Liszt Collection

Reference

LZT26B07_465

License type

Rights managed

Available size

38.3Mb (8.3Mb) / 14.7in x 10.1in / 4411 x 3035 (300dpi)

Keywords

Two labourers sketchbook page Outside uneven terrain two men sitting ground knees drawn up men wearing loincloth veshti lungi lifted wrapped large shawl chadar upper bodies arms man sitting left rests covered left elbow left knee man right holding arms folded front chest under shawl feet standing firmly sloping ground hair short-cropped shaved South India work Colombo reconstruction possible drawn twice Sheet 45 sketchbook 117 sheets draftsman artist Esaias Boursse Sri Lanka 1662 South Asia materials function paper ink brush gray height 148 mm x width 196 mm Asiatic races peoples Indians 41D232 skirt Lungi head-gear Name overseas history Period 1662 - 1670 pencil drawing two seated figures rocky surface draped cloth figure hunched wrapped shoulders short cropped hairstyle faces forward detailed lined face short hair cloth across torso shoulder knee foot flat lower legs rendered visible musculature toes rocky ground beneath them sketched shadows irregular stones background plain lightly textured expanse