A Shepherd family at Dinner

This delightful genre scene depicts a shepherd family seated at dinner under the shade of a tree, surrounded by their flock of mountain goats with a black herding dog keeping watch. The woman at the far right is making and passing around rotis or pieces of bread to the others. The distinctive headdress of the man with its pointed ends indicates that the group are members of the Gaddi tribe who are hereditary shepherds inhabiting the Punjab Hills.

Compare with a later depiction of a Gaddi family on the march, see W. G. Archer, Indian Paintings from the Punjab Hills, London, 1973, vol. II, no. 76. Also see an illustration from a Kedara Kalpa series, Sotheby’s New York, March 22, 2202, lot 69, for another depiction of Gaddi tribesmen with their distinctive headdress worshipping at a Shaivite shrine.

The artist captures the charm and intimacy of the scene as he depicts the youngest member of the family playing with his piece of bread rather than eating it.