A TROUPE OF TRAVELLING ENTERTAINERS, DELHI, CIRCA 1820

Opaque watercolour on paper, descriptive inscription below

Charles Ewart
Sven Gahlin
Robert Alderman and Mark Zebrowski

Room for Wonder, Indian Painting during the British Period 1760-1880, The American Federation of Arts, New York, 1978

Welch 1978, no.47, p.110

In good condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This is a charming and lively illustration of a band of travelling entertainers, painted in a style associated with Delhi in the early 19th century. In the catalogue accompanying the 1978 exhibition Room for Wonder, Cary Welch commented:

"A bhand was a group of raunchy buffons, who were eager to entertain at marriages, or any other kind of merry occasion. Here they spoof all that was serious and sacrosanct to Hindus and Muslims alike: Lord Siva himself, shown in his hermaphroditic or Ardhanari form, combining his masculine self with that of his beloved, Parvati; the profound art of Kathak dancing; and Sufis, the mystically oriented Muslim holy men. In the right foreground, a clownish fellow "smokes" a hookah improvised from a twisted sash, while the pot-bellied cut-up at the left sports a turban tied around his slipper, an object of utter contamination" (Welch 1978, p.110)

For works in similar style see Canby 1998, nos.141-142, pp.182-183; Leach 1995, vol.II, pp.788.

Cary Welch's handwritten notes on the backboard of the frame are as follows:
"A wild spoof of all that was holy - ardhanari ( ....) , slipper-beating, Kathak dancing"
"This picture was sold by Charles Ewart to Sven Gahlin for £1. He sold it to Bob Alderman and Marc Zebrowski, from whom I acquired it"