A "Hottentot" woman with prominent buttocks. Watercolour painting.
Topic
Genre
Summary
Shows protuberance of the buttocks, called steatopygia. 'Hottentot' is a term formerly used to describe some of the peoples of South Africa who are also known as Khoisan. The Gamtoos (Ghamtoos) river is in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. It was where Sarah Baartman (called "The Hottentot Venus", d. 1815) came from: the painting may be a portrait of her
Reference
Wellcome Library no. 3096i