Missed 1874

Elizabeth Thompson's "Missed" is rendered in watercolor and gouache on paper, capturing a scene of colonial India. The choice of materials themselves speaks to a specific set of values and context. Thompson, a British artist, uses techniques associated with both meticulous record-keeping and military sketches to convey the dynamism of the rider and horse. Watercolor, in particular, lends itself to capturing fleeting moments and atmospheric effects, and the fluid, translucent quality of the medium enhances the sense of movement. Yet, the subject matter introduces a layer of complexity. Thompson, celebrated for her depictions of British soldiers, here turns her attention to a scene in colonial India. The labor involved in creating this artwork, then, is not only Thompson's own, but also implicated in a much larger system of labor relations, with Britain extracting resources from its colonies. Ultimately, by considering the materials and techniques, we can start to see how Thompson's artwork speaks to the relationship between Britain and its colonies, and the unequal power dynamics at play.