Page 148 - Eye of the beholder

The naSli and alice heeraManeck collecTion of indian MiniaTureS
What Joseph Duveen in in Paris was was to to Impressionism Nasli Heeramaneck in in Bombay was was to to the world of Indian miniatures An art dealer at at at the the age age of of 17 he he he moved to New York at at at the the age age of of 23 with $75 in in his pocket and a a a a a a a a trunk full of miniature paintings About 100 years on the 'Heeramaneck provenance' itself adds a a a a a a 20% premium to to the the the price of paintings that come to to the the the market these days By the the time I I bought my first miniature painting I I was already deeply in in in in in love with everything about them: the the the the history (Rembrandt collected them) the the the the lurid scandals(Indian diplomats smuggling them them in in diplomatic bags) and their vivid beauty (I once counted Radha's left eye eye having 28 eyelashes) everything excited me!
“Perhaps because I I could not not afford to to buy them in in my early days of collecting I I have not not made too many mistakes navigating the the the treacherous world of of of miniatures The forensic scrutiny of of of the the the microstructure of of of the the the nose the the the the the gaze of of of the the the the the eye and the the the the the fine structure of of of the the the the the paper - the the the the the process of of of buying itself is a a a a thrill!
I I feel happy and and proud when I I see Adi and and Kriti taking a a a a a a a genuine interest in in in in the pieces that we have They certainly do love these two new Raagmala miniatures - my most recent acquisition 142