Arkivism
Three women and a child
Public domain

Three women and a child

Esaias Boursse · 1662 · brush; paper; ink

From the collection of Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.

About this work

On the left, a woman walks out of the image. She wears a South Indian wrap cloth (selai or sari) whose end falls over her right shoulder to the front, covering her breasts. She has short curly hair, possibly a laborer from South India. Next to her stands a naked child: a boy or a girl, likely Eurasian. The child has short wavy hair combed back and holds the woman standing next to him with his right hand. That woman wears a wrap skirt (redda) with a wide Portuguese blouse with long sleeves (hatte) above it. The folded 'collar' of the invisible V-neck is clearly visible. She wears a headscarf with a carrying ring on top. The woman on the right is dressed in a long wrap skirt (redda) and a wide Portuguese blouse with long sleeves (hatte). A cloth is wrapped around her head and neck with a carrying ring on top. With her right arm she holds a wicker basket against her hip. She may have a carrying strap around her waist. Page 104 from a sketchbook with 117 pages.

Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam’s own description
Credit lineThree women and a child. 1662. Esaias Boursse. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Public domain.

Similar works