- 108
A Sepoy with Musket, Indo-Portuguese, Goa, late 18th Century
Estimate
20,000 - 25,000 GBP
bidding is closed
Description
- watercolour and gouache on paper
Oil on canvas, framed
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."
Catalogue Note
inscriptions
In Portuguese between the feet of the figure: CIPAI ('Sepoy')
The present portrait, depicting a young Hindu sepoy with a rifle standing beside a tree, belongs to a charming and rare group of paintings executed in the late-eighteenth and early-nineteenth century documenting the topography of Goa. The paintings were most likely by European artists working for Portuguese patrons, and many depict with unique accuracy both figures and architectural landmarks along the Mandovi River, clearly the result of direct observation. It is possible, however, that local artists may have produced such paintings, having learned the techniques of European oil painting, although the inscriptions on the paintings (in this case identifying the CIPAI, or sepoy) suggest a European hand.
Just as the British commissioned records of the architecture, people and scenes from their lives in India (see lot 106), the Portuguese were also keen to document their surroundings. However, the present painting (and the group to which it belongs), are far more rare than their more religious counterparts, commissioned by the Catholic Portuguese. Architectural scenes from Goa are illustrated in H. Carita, Palácios de Goa, Lisbon, 1995, where other figures can be seen in the foreground of the pictures, each inscribed as with the present sepoy, with great attention paid to detail.
In Portuguese between the feet of the figure: CIPAI ('Sepoy')
The present portrait, depicting a young Hindu sepoy with a rifle standing beside a tree, belongs to a charming and rare group of paintings executed in the late-eighteenth and early-nineteenth century documenting the topography of Goa. The paintings were most likely by European artists working for Portuguese patrons, and many depict with unique accuracy both figures and architectural landmarks along the Mandovi River, clearly the result of direct observation. It is possible, however, that local artists may have produced such paintings, having learned the techniques of European oil painting, although the inscriptions on the paintings (in this case identifying the CIPAI, or sepoy) suggest a European hand.
Just as the British commissioned records of the architecture, people and scenes from their lives in India (see lot 106), the Portuguese were also keen to document their surroundings. However, the present painting (and the group to which it belongs), are far more rare than their more religious counterparts, commissioned by the Catholic Portuguese. Architectural scenes from Goa are illustrated in H. Carita, Palácios de Goa, Lisbon, 1995, where other figures can be seen in the foreground of the pictures, each inscribed as with the present sepoy, with great attention paid to detail.