Raja Raj Singh of Kishangarh celebrating the Holi festival, attributable to Bhavanidas, Kishangarh, circa 1725-30

gouache heightened with gold on paper, laid down on an album page with borders filled with gold scrolling grapevines, inscribed on the recto in devanagari script: 'Gaj [Raj?] Singh'

Sotheby's, London, 12 December 1966, lot 105

Haidar 1995, fig.107

In reasonably good overall condition, losses to album page borders encroaching into edges of painted area, slightly rubbed, as viewed.
"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 decadent scene of a prince and his harem celebrating Holi with joyous abandon can be attributed to Bhavanidas, a Mughal-trained artist who moved to Kishangarh in 1719. It is very close in style and theme (though not as extreme in its debauchery) to an orgiastic night scene formerly in the Stuart Cary Welch Collection that was also attributed to Bhavanidas (see Sotheby's, London, 31 May 2011, lot 20; Haidar 2000, figs.7-7a, pp.86-87; Welch 1985, no.250, pp.372-3). 

Holi, the popular Hindu festival marking the coming of spring, is celebrated with the participants throwing red and yellow powder and squirting liquids of these colours at each other and any unfortunate passers-by. Here Raja Raj Singh of Kishangarh (r.1706-48), represented as Krishna, is shown with the ladies of his harem and is identified by the inscription in gold beneath his feet. Navina Haidar writes: "This animated scene with its lavish use of gold and delicate brushwork, is one of the finest works from the reign of Raj Singh." (Haidar 1995). The Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah I (r.1707-12) was married to a Kishangarh princess, so Raj Singh was not only closely related to the Emperor, but had enjoyed and become accustomed to life at the Mughal court.

Bhavanidas was trained at the Mughal court and moved to Kishangarh in 1719, during the reign of Raja Rai Singh (r. 1706-1748), the prince depicted in the present work. He was enormously influential in the development of the Kishangarh atelier and Falk noted that "his powers of emotional expression, satire and caricature were beyond the reach of other Rajput artists" (Falk 1992). For illustrations of his work and discussion of his career and style see Haidar in Beach, Fischer and Goswamy 2011, pp.531-546; Haidar 2000; Haidar 1995; Falk 1992. For other works attributed to Bhavanidas in this catalogue see see lots 31, 54, 55 and 58. A related, though more subdued version of this subject, attributable to the later Kishangarh master, Nihal Chand, pupil of Bhavanidas, is in the Paul Walter Collection (Pal 1978, pp.132-3, and cover).