- 284
Kunwar Himmat Ramji rides a camel, attributable to the artist Tara, Udaipur, Mewar, Rajasthan, circa 1850
Estimate
40,000 - 60,000 GBP
bidding is closed
Description
- gouache and paper
- 26 by 33cm
Opaque watercolour and gold on paper
Provenance
Ex-private collection, London
Exhibited
Prahlad Bubbar, Landscapes of the Gods: Pichhvais and Miniatures from the Gujral and Other Private Collection, London, 7 June - 19 July 2013
Catalogue Note
The vitality of the camel’s strong stride forwards is elegantly counterpoised by his strong turn of the head upwards as it is held by the reigns in his nostrils in the firm grips of the nobleman Kunwar Himmat Ramji. Creating a perfectly balanced composition through the use of sinuous lines and geometric forms with a blend of bright colours and an attention to detail, this painting can most probably be attributed to Tara, one of the most celebrated Indian artists of the nineteenth century.
Working under the atelier of Maharana Sarup Singh (r.1842-61), ruler of the Rajput Kingdom centered in Udaipur, Tara is recognised for his unique courtly style. Notable elements of his distinctive hand are apparent in the present painting, for example, the careful rendering of each individual hair on the camel’s head and its eyelashes, the attention to the floral design on the ground and the dynamic pose of the camel which all contribute to a lively design, emphasised by a bold choice of colours with golden highlights.
Furthermore, the way in which Himmat Ramji is portrayed is reminiscent of the depictions by Tara of his patron, Maharana Sarup Singh. This comparison is particularly apparent on two paintings by Tara, one in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection: Maharana Sarup Singh Views a Prize Stallion, inv. no. 2001.344, in which the elegance of the sitter’s face is marked out by an ornate headdress, stylised moustache and long almond eyes. The horse that is being presented to Maharana Sarup Singh wears a long tunic with a geometric chevron design that stands out against the softer, more natural patterns of the canopy and the audience’s costumes. Similarly, in this painting, the saddle on which Himmat Ramji sits, with its strong horizontal lines, contrasts with the fluid rendering of the camel in motion, the tassels hanging down and the formal, yet softly rendered pose of Himmat Ramji, all which are aspects that mark out Tara’s painterly style.
Another portrait by Tara of Sarup Singh is also in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, on loan from the Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation in Udaipur and features Sarup Singh with attendants. It follows the painterly style of the English watercolourist William Carpenter who visited Udaipur in 1851. Whereas Tara uses conventions that are associated with the Udaipur tradition, notably the flat green ground and a geometric point of view, he also captures the psychological depth of the sitter and attempts to capture the drapery of his clothes. His close observance of such European methodologies and attention to spatial depth comes out in this work which lies on the brink of late Indian painting and early photography.
Regularly depicting the daily and ceremonial aspects of life in the Mewar court, Tara would remain conscious of the hierarchies and protocol observed. It is in his ability to create a dynamic yet controlled, poised image that Tara excels, and the present painting holds the elegance associated with a great artist.
Working under the atelier of Maharana Sarup Singh (r.1842-61), ruler of the Rajput Kingdom centered in Udaipur, Tara is recognised for his unique courtly style. Notable elements of his distinctive hand are apparent in the present painting, for example, the careful rendering of each individual hair on the camel’s head and its eyelashes, the attention to the floral design on the ground and the dynamic pose of the camel which all contribute to a lively design, emphasised by a bold choice of colours with golden highlights.
Furthermore, the way in which Himmat Ramji is portrayed is reminiscent of the depictions by Tara of his patron, Maharana Sarup Singh. This comparison is particularly apparent on two paintings by Tara, one in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection: Maharana Sarup Singh Views a Prize Stallion, inv. no. 2001.344, in which the elegance of the sitter’s face is marked out by an ornate headdress, stylised moustache and long almond eyes. The horse that is being presented to Maharana Sarup Singh wears a long tunic with a geometric chevron design that stands out against the softer, more natural patterns of the canopy and the audience’s costumes. Similarly, in this painting, the saddle on which Himmat Ramji sits, with its strong horizontal lines, contrasts with the fluid rendering of the camel in motion, the tassels hanging down and the formal, yet softly rendered pose of Himmat Ramji, all which are aspects that mark out Tara’s painterly style.
Another portrait by Tara of Sarup Singh is also in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, on loan from the Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation in Udaipur and features Sarup Singh with attendants. It follows the painterly style of the English watercolourist William Carpenter who visited Udaipur in 1851. Whereas Tara uses conventions that are associated with the Udaipur tradition, notably the flat green ground and a geometric point of view, he also captures the psychological depth of the sitter and attempts to capture the drapery of his clothes. His close observance of such European methodologies and attention to spatial depth comes out in this work which lies on the brink of late Indian painting and early photography.
Regularly depicting the daily and ceremonial aspects of life in the Mewar court, Tara would remain conscious of the hierarchies and protocol observed. It is in his ability to create a dynamic yet controlled, poised image that Tara excels, and the present painting holds the elegance associated with a great artist.