The artpiece was auctioned on 8 April, 2014 to a private collector by BONHAMS auction house
This artwork titled Aya (nurse) is a part of a series of four Company School paintings attributed to artist Shaikh Muhammad Amir of Karraya. These paintings were made at Calcutta and are dated to c. 1840. Shaikh Muhammad Amir is one of the most renowned artists of colonial era, who was patronised by the Company School and mainly produced artworks for European patrons in Calcutta. He specialised in portrayal of the houses, servants, horses, carriages and domestic life of the British residents and was known for adapting Indian painting traditions to the European expectations of the colonial officials. His works frequently portrayed individual servants and people of different occupations as carefully observed figures. This painting depicts an ayah, a woman domestic attendant who was usually employed for the care of children. Here, she is depicted as an individual figure rather than being shown as part of a narrative scene, which was characteristic of Amir's treatment of servants and occupations. The plain background allows attention to be directed towards the woman - her clothing, posture and physical appearance. Such occupational portraits were often produced as parts of albums containing portrayals of different servants, trades and occupations. This painting is a part of an album which includes the aya alongside Dewan (financial secretary), a Chuprasee), a Bharee (porter) and other people. This painting, like Amir’s other works demonstrates the interest of the Company School in observation, categorisation and realistic representation of different people. The aya is depicted here as a recognisable occupational type. At the same time, the image also reflects the colonial social structure in which Indian domestic labour was represented for European patrons and audiences. Amir's paintings of servants therefore function as portraits of individuals and as visual records of the domestic organisation of colonial Calcutta. The painting also documents the visibility of Indian domestic workers within European households while reflecting the colonial tendency of officials to classify people according to occupation and social function. The choice of an aya is interesting as women working as childcare attendants occupied an important position within the domestic life of British families in nineteenth-century colonial India.
The painting Aya (Nurse) is more than a portrait of a domestic worker. It shows the presence of Indian women in colonial homes often overlooked but deeply important. The woman in the painting stands with confidence and clarity not as a figure in the background but as someone with her own identity and strength. Her clothing, the details of her jewellery and the way she holds herself reveal how closely Amir paid attention to life in India. These small details give a sense of authenticity and personal dignity. At the time the simple background and the focus on her job reflect the style of the Company School, which often categorized people by their roles in society. This creates a tension in the artwork: it honors the individuality of the aya while still showing her through the lens of expectations. She is both a person and a symbol of the workforce. It records the contributions of Indian women who worked in colonial households. Their work kept things running supported families and shaped life. Yet their stories were rarely written down their names forgotten. This painting helps bring them back into view. Not as servants but as people, with lives, presence and pride.
