The pictures made by Indian artists for the British in India are called Company paintings. This example is from a collection of 100 such paintings. They show Hindu deities and their vehicles, the Guardians of the Quarters, the avataras (incarnations) of Vishnu, and the story of Krishna. The subject matter is unusual one for Company Paintings, which generally showed more popular themes such as occupations and costume. An Englishman with scholarly interests must have commissioned this one.