Burmese village

The critical and commercial success of Mortimer Menpes' solo exhibition of Japanism works in 1888 encouraged him to return to Asia for new subjects, exhibiting works inspired by his travels in one man shows back in London. In 1889-91, Menpes travelled to India, Kashmir, and Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) which were then part of the British Empire. This work, which presents a hot and humid impression of a Burmese village, was exhibited in his follow-up exhibition in London in 1891.

Menpes fondly recalled his travels in Myanmar in his colour illustrated travel book, World pictures (1902), writing: 'Burma is full of fascinating subjects for the painter. If an artist were to pitch his sketching easel at, let us say, a street corner in Mandalay, and supposing his search to be not only for the fatal "picturesque", but simply for life, life of air, of light, of movement and accident, he would find a wealth of material … [1]'.

This artist designed frame features a fluted panel and an offset window. It was inspired by the frames Menpes encountered in Japan 1887, and possibly the layouts of intaglio prints.

1. Mortimer Menpes, World pictures: being a record in colour, RH Russell, New York, 1902, p 254