Thomas Hickey was an Irish portrait painter who spent significant stretches of his career in Calcutta and Madras, working within British colonial society in India — this portrait reflects that cross-cultural career directly.
About this work
An Indian Lady was painted in 1787 by the Irish artist Thomas Hickey (1741–1824), born in Dublin, who worked in Calcutta and later travelled to China with Lord Macartney's embassy. The National Gallery of Ireland titles it An Indian Lady, perhaps 'Jemdanee', Bibi of William Hickey — the hedge is the gallery's own, and the sitter's identity is not settled. The original is oil on canvas, 102 × 127 cm, and hangs in the National Gallery of Ireland (NGI.1390), presented in 1959. This print is an open edition, made to order and shipped worldwide.
