Page 100 - ART OF THE ISLAMIC AND INDIAN WORLDS Carpets, Ceramics Objects, Christie's London Oct..27, 2022

82
RAJA DALIP SINGH OF GULER
PERFORMING PUJA
ATTRIBUTED TO PANDIT SEU, GULER,
NORTH INDIA, CIRCA 1740
Opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper,
set within a dark blue border, inscribed on the
verso in nagari
Painting 9q x 6¡in. (24 x 16.2cm.);
folio: 10¬ x 7æin. (27 x 19.6cm.)
£80,000-120,000 US$92,000-140,000
€92,000-140,000

LITERATURE:
M.S. Randhawa, 'Guler, the birthplace of Kangra
art', Marg, vol. VI, no. 4, 1953, pp. 30-42, fig.C.
K. Khandalavala, Pahari Miniature Painting,
Bombay, 1958, no. 102
L.V. Habighorst, Blumen - Bäume - Göttergärten in
indischen Miniaturen, Koblenz, 2011, fig. 72
Francesca Galloway, Indian Paintings from the
collection of Ludwig Habighorst, London, 2018,
no. 6
INSCRIPTIONS:
Raja Guler ka Dalip Chand

Raja Dalip Singh of Guler (r. 1695-1741) performs
pujain front of the golden image of baby Krishna,
Balakrishna. He stares rigidly ahead whilst he
holds beads, hidden from us in the orange cloth
bag in his right hand. In his left hand is a flower
which will no doubt be added to those in a pile
atop Balakrishna. Other implements for worship
lie before the Raja who is sat on a plain terrace
with just a lone tree behind him. Whilst very
simple, the painting is simultaneously most
luxurious. All the objects of worship are of gold,
the Raja himself is wrapped in a beautiful white
and gold sash, whilst a finely worked marble jali
balustrade bounds the space. their fifties. It is the naturalism of this work which similar skies present in the Mughal portraits
supports Goswamy and Fischer’s opinion that of the Farrukhsiyar period (1713-19), it again
This portrait is an excellent example of the style Pandit Seu was a contemporary of Raja Dalip indicates the influence of Mughal paintings on the
of the great Guler artist Pandit Seu. The family of Singh and worked under his patronage. It also early development of Pahari style (Indian Paintings
Pandit Seu, which includes his sons Manaku and suggests that the painter likely encountered of the Ludwig Habighorst Collection, Francesca
Nainsukh, are credited with greatly advancing not Mughal artists working on the plains and imbibed Galloway, London, 2018, p.26).
just Guler painting but that of the entire Pahari their focus on naturalism into his work without
school. It was under them that Pahari painting completely abandoning his own personal style Another portrait by Pandit Seu, this one of Bishan
moved away from the strong bold colouring of (op.cit., p.213). Singh of Amer and painted about a decade earlier
earlier mid-17th century Basohli work towards a than this work, is in the Museum Rietberg (RVI
more naturalistic style with softer tonalities, likely Jerry Losty relates the present lot to another 2247) Beyond solely portraiture a number of other
a result of contact and influence from the Mughal painting attributed to Pandit Seu of the earlier works have been attributed to Pandit Seu. One,
school. Although we have no ascribed works by Raja Raj Singh (r. circa 1685-95), now in the now in the Government Museum in Chandigarh,
Pandit Seu a number of paintings are attributed Mittal Museum in Hyderabad (illustrated in also shows Raja Dalip Singh, although this time
to him by Goswamy and Fischer which share a J.Seyller and J. Mittal, Pahari Paintings in the in a far more stylised manner and riding an
particular concern for realistic facial portraiture Jagdish and Kamla Mittal Museum of Indian Art, elephant with his heir Govardhan Chand as part
(Pahari Masters: Court Painters of Northern India, Hyderabad, 2014, no.65). That painting has of a succession series. Other paintings attributed
Zurich, 1992, nos.91-94). In line with this, the similarly smooth features of the portraiture and to Pandit Seu of groups of dancers and musicians
present portrait has beautifully modelled eyes the golden hillside is entirely outlined in fiery red demonstrate the painter’s talent for dynamism
and skin that is appropriately wrinkled for the cloud. A remnant of this can be seen in the hint and movement, one of which was sold in these
age of the sitter who would be in or approaching of red clouds in the present painting and with Rooms, 25 October 2018, lot 181.

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