I wonder how accurate these paintings are? As the saying goes - The spirit of the law or the letter of the law. Has the artist captured the impression of the sitter or are we looking at as near as dammit photographs. I don't believe it is the latter, so we must question how much of what we are seeing is accurate and how much is artistic license.

My Grandfather was a studio photographer in India at the turn of the last century. My cousin still has all the costume jewelery that the ladies were adorned with. In black and white pictures, you can't tell whether the pearls are real or not. There was always a Black-a-moor servant boy standing behind holding the cane or parasol (imported by my grandfather from Madagascar) and a couple of wolfhounds sitting at the subjects feet (family pets). All in all the people in the photos looked like kings and queens and not the clerks and shopkeepers that they were.

I think we can be a bit skeptical.

Regards

Chas