Unsung Artists Behind Colonial India's Botanical Paintings

A long time ago, during the colonial period in India, many beautiful paintings of plants and animals were made by Indian artists.

These artists were hired by British officials to create these detailed pictures to help them understand and classify the natural world.

However, the artists who made these amazing paintings were often not given credit for their work.

Recently, a scientist named Henry J. Noltie has been looking through thousands of these paintings to learn more about the artists and their stories.

He found a letter from one artist, Vishnuprasad, which gave a glimpse into his life.

Noltie also discovered that some of these artists were paid well and even had long, successful careers.

The paintings are now being shown in an exhibition in London, and a book has been written about them to help people remember and appreciate the artists who made these wonderful works of art.