Weaving and Spinningc. 1860 · Study 1987.162

Context from the museum

Hand-spun and woven cotton cloth was probably the most important commodity exported from India during the 1700s and 1800s. The British East India Company expanded to manage the business of textile production and international sale. The humble conditions under which Indian weavers and spinners worked are depicted here, where simple looms are made from crude branches, and the craftsmen work on the ground. The inscriptions at the top of the page indicate the artist’s name and the workers’ occupations.

Museum description reproduced from its CC0 open-access record. Read the original catalog entry.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected overall measurement for Weaving and Spinning is 19 cm wide and 23.7 cm high, equivalent to approximately 7.5 × 9.3 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 0.80:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.05 square meters; it describes the measured footprint, not the amount of paint or the monetary value.

On an illustrative 300 cm wall, the recorded width occupies 6.3% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 140.5 cm on each side before adding a frame. These are calculations by Physical Art For Crypto using museum measurements. They are not the museum’s display recommendations.

Questions to bring to your own collection

With Weaving and Spinning in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, Gum tempera and ink on paper, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this vertical composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 19 cm width still suit the space after allowing for furniture and a frame?
• What surface detail would you need to see in person or in a close photograph?