A MAHARAJA CLASPING THE HAND OF A SHY MAIDEN ‡
INDIA, PUNJAB HILLS, GARHWAL, CIRCA 1780-90
Estimate: £1,000 - £1,500
Auction: 11 June 2025 from 10:00 BST
Description
gouache on paper heightened with gold, dark blue border with margin rules in white, the raja is dressed in a bright yellow jama and turban leaning against a green and red bolster holding his hookah, at the same time holding the hand of his beloved, who is dressed in a bright orange robe with a grey dopatta draped over her head and shoulders, a palace chamber with a rolled blind in the background, cherry trees in blossom seen beyond through a doorway
Dimensions
19.4cm x 13.4cm
Provenance
From a Spanish Private Collection, formerly in the collection of the Maharaja of Bikaner.
Footnote
The flow of this painting with the command of the maharaja, the curve of his hookah pipe and his clasping of the shy maiden's hand all add to the romance of this palace terrace scene. The artist invites the viewer, most likely his patron, to share the depth of the romantic feeling in the painting, so often found in the Pahari schools. For further discussion and a close comparison, see, M. Lal, Garhwal painting, New Delhi, 1968, no. 1, and; E. Binney, Rajput Miniatures from the collection of Edwin Binney 3rd, Portland 1968, no. 87, and finally; W. G. Archer, Indian Paintings from the Punjab Hills, London, 1973, Vol. 1, p. 115, no. 14 and Vol. II, p.82. no. 14.