A Picture of Health

Book excerpt: This is the story of a painting capturing a landmark moment in history. Or is it the story of the subjects of the painting? Maybe it's the story of the painter? Or those who are missing from the composition. Set in Mysore, Southern India, in 1805. The story begins when princess Devajammani arrives at the royal court of Mysore to marry Krishnaraja Wadiyar III. They were both twelve years old and he was the newly anointed ruler of the Southern Indian kingdom. But Devajammani soon found herself recruited for a more momentous cause - to publicise and promote the smallpox vaccine. What followed was a concerted mix of politics, power, and persuasion by the East India Company to introduce the world's first ever vaccine to India, their biggest colonial enterprise. A Picture of Health is written by award-winning playwright Sudha Bhuchar, inspired by Irish painter Thomas Hickey's portrait 'The Three Queens of Mysore', which itself has been called 'one of the most important scientific paintings in the history of medicine in India'. This edition was published published to coincide with Theatre of Debate's schools tour starting in September 2024.