Page 86 - Indian and Himalayan Art, March 15, 2017 Sotheby's NYC
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PROPERTY FROM THE LANIER COLLECTION hennaed palm is raised in a youthful mudra Golconda painting from the latter Seventeenth
of objection, as her stern governess gestures, Century whose mysterious Mona Lisa-like smile
AN IRREPRESSIBLE MAIDEN reminding her that it’s past time to return home reminds us greatly of our young maiden.
India, Deccan, Golconda, to perform her rituals. Against a brilliant warm
circa 1720-30 yellow background with swirling gray-blue clouds Our imploring gray-haired duenna has her
above as owers blossom beneath her feet. With counterpart in several known paintings from
Opaque watercolor heightened with gold on paper blue-green inner and wide red outer borders with Kotah and Bundi in Rajasthan during the
image: 7¼ by 5¼ in. (17.7 by 12.7 cm) black ruled lines. early Nineteenth Century. We nd very close
folio: 13 by 9½ in. (33 by 22.8 cm) comparables in paintings from Kotah. These
This extremely sensitive and re ned painting works - although not nearly as ne, crisply
PROVENANCE shows the con uence of both Deccani and painted or expressive as our own - depict very
Rajasthani (particularly Bundi/Kotah) traditions. similar governess gures with nearly identical
Sir Howard Hodgkin Its glowing color, sensuality and lively movement hand gestures, costume and frustrated facial
Sam Fogg Ltd., London seem Deccani. Costume details like the maiden’s expressions. Our charming maiden seems to
Acquired 1999 veil and long patka, delicate jeweled ornaments have originated as a Deccani motif which found
and her ne facial features all seem to suggest a favor in Rajasthan - perhaps brought there by
In this delightfully elegant painting, a young Golconda origin. The maiden’s yearning touch of relocating Deccani artists able to recapture the
maiden is seen in the heat of an outdoor summer a slender tree trunk is a repeated motif in Deccani lighthearted charm found in the earlier Golconda
day, wearing a diaphanous muslin upper garment works and we may nd a comparably insouciant artworks.
and transparent shawl. She grasps the slender attitude in the “Courtesan” - see Zebrowski,
trunk of a leafy mango tree - the long black hair Deccani Painting, London, 1983, g.179 for a $ 12,000-18,000
falling down her back visible behind her. One foot
languidly slides out of her slipper. Her closed
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