A Nobleman at Ease on an Outdoor Terrace Listening to Female Musicians, Provincial Mughal / Awadh or Delhi, circa 1790 - 1810

Auction Closed

March 20, 05:22 PM GMT

Estimate

6,000 - 8,000 USD

Lot Details

Description

Classical Indian paintings from a Distinguished New York Private Collection

Opaque water-based pigments with gold on paper

Blue inner borders with gold foliate designs, gold inner margin and rules.

Wide buff outer borders with gold floral designs.

Image: 8¼ by 5¾ in., 21.2 by 14.5 cm

Folio: 10 by 7⅜ in., 25.6 by 18.7 cm

This beautiful painting could be considered as representing an archetype for the lifestyle of the ruling classes - both Mughal and Rajput - at the twilight of the Mughal period at the end of the 18th century. A superbly dressed and bejeweled young nobleman is seated on a fine Persian carpet, gold platters set before him - being fanned by a standing handmaiden behind as four lovely young female musicians play and sing facing him. The scene is lavish and sumptuous and conveys a sense of ordered serenity for the participants.

The outer album page with its multiple foliate borders seem to be in perfect harmony with the central image - its floral designs and patterns echoing the muraqqa' folios of Mughal albums of earlier centuries, when the Mughal empire was at its greatest military strength and diplomatic authority.