A seated princess at her toilet, attributable to Chokha, Mewar at Devgarh, circa 1811-20

gouache heightened with gold on paper, inscribed in devanagari on the reverse

Acquired before 1968

In good overall condition, minor cracking to surface paint at upper section, as viewed.
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The family atelier of Bakhta and Chokha (1773-1828) at Devgarh in the north of Mewar revitalised the art of painting in that state. Chokha studied under his father at Devgarh but then moved to Udaipur, the main location of the Mewar court and the main artistic centre of the state. His earliest dated painting is from 1799, which is the date he is assumed to have begun an independent career at Udaipur. He moved back to Devgarh to join his father around 1811 and remained the principal artist there until 1826. By the time he arrived back at Devgarh he was in complete command of his own eclectic style, of which the present painting, with its sensuous corporeality and erotic tone is an important early example.

For two closely related miniatures by Chokha, both showing Radha at her toilet preparing to meet Krishna, see London 1982-I, p.139, no.155, and San Francisco 1986, p.62, no.30. A further related example, close in style but possibly by another hand, is also illustrated in San Francisco 1986, p.89, no.54.

For detailed surveys of Chokha's career see Beach in Beach, Fischer and Goswamy 2011, vol.II, pp. 733-752; Beach and Singh 2005, pp.72-93; and Topsfield 2002, pp.217-233.