The present mezzotint derives from the original oil painting by Johann Zoffany which hangs in the Tate Gallery. Zoffany painted the work when he worked as a court painter for the Indian Governor of Oudh, Asaf-ad-duala, between 1783 and 1786.
A boisterous crowd of Indians and ex-patriots enjoys a cock fight between the favorite bird of the Governor, and a cock said to have been imported from Britain by Colonel John Mordaunt. Rowdy men and elegant women in vibrant costumes are grouped around the fight, variously engaged in conversation, playing musical instruments, watching the fight unfold, or examining potential fighting birds. Zoffany specialized in bringing together in one image a variety of disparate personages, each individually posed and characterized. The careful attention paid to details of physiognomy and dress precludes a stereotyped representation of the cultural ‘other’ which would become increasingly common in the next century.
Cock fighting was a pursuit deemed cruel and frowned upon by polite society in Britain; however, the exoticism of colonial India and its distance from home afforded the ex-patriots freedom from the stifling constraints of morally ‘correct’ social conduct. Cock fighting thus became one of the ex-patriots’ favorite pastimes.
Size: 46 x 58 cm. 60 x 73 cm with mount. This originally hand-colored mezzotint can be mounted for added protection ready to be framed/stored. This service is complimentary with all our engravings & maps.
Exportable: No
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