Lot n° 5
Estimation :
3000 - 5000
EUR
Northern India, Oudh or Bengal (now Uttar... - Lot 5 - Coutau-Bégarie
Northern India, Oudh or Bengal (now Uttar Pradesh), late 18th - early 19th century. Raja enjoying himself under a portico
Large gouache and watercolor painting heightened with gold on paper, pasted on verge paper. The scene depicts a dignitary, surrounded by his court and servants, attending a "nautch", a dance performed by a courtesan accompanied by female musicians. 39,2 x 45,2 cm the painting.
On the back: old labels in English. Two stamps of nine pence, cancelled, with the effigy of George V, one dated June 27 (19)22
Provenance:
Former British collection since the 1920s.
Former Swiss collection.
French private collection.
The painting is composed along a symmetrical axis that opposes the group of men to the group of women on the left. These figures are eight on each side, and are grouped under the side porches while the main figure, the nawab, is placed under the central archway. He is depicted on a slightly larger scale than the other figures, indicating his noble rank. Seated on a flowered carpet, leaning on a green and gold cushion called "gaddi", he holds in his left hand a pearl necklace, perhaps a "tasbih" (rosary), while his right hand rests on his "talwar" sword.
Opposite him, eight women in saris dance and play music. They are richly adorned with pearl necklaces, long earrings, anklets, but only the first one wears a forehead jewel and a long necklace of flowers. Their shimmering saris are ivory, orange or soft green. Their hair is covered with a thin veil worn slightly back; the tips of their fingers, toes and the soles of their feet are painted with henna. Among the instruments of the musicians, one can identify the "pakhavaj", a long ovoid drum, two "tanpura" that look like a zither. The first one dances for the nobleman and even seems to apostrophize him.
Behind him, eight men stand. Those with white turbans are servants, one holds on his shoulder the "morchhal" fly repellent made of peacock feathers, others hold golden pear-shaped flasks, perhaps rose water sprinklers. Those with green or orange turbans that resemble the raja's seem to be members of the court, or of the princely family. All are dressed in fine white jamas.
Beyond the openwork balustrade, other areas of the palace are visible. There are five "jalis", stone screens decorated with hexagonal or more complex floral motifs, framed by poly-lobed niches that house porcelain with white and blue decoration. The columns have the traditional lotus flower motif at their base and in their capitals.
A pencil annotation, made after the painting, refers to the main character as "Nahjat Khan". This annotation may refer to the Najat Khan who led an uprising in Bengal in the first half of the 18th century against the rule of Murshid Quli Khan, or to Mirza Najaf Khan (1723-1782), a Safavid prince who came to Delhi around 1740 and became vizier and commander-in-chief of the Mughal army from 1772 to 1782.
This painting belongs to the group of "Company school or Company paintings", which designates the paintings made by Indian artists on behalf of Europeans, mostly British, agents of the English "Company" of India during the 18th and 19th centuries. The region of Oudh became a great center of painting with the arrival in Faizadabad and Lucknow of painters from the Mughal capital Delhi. Court scenes, love scenes and portraits were followed by scenes of musical inspiration like ours. The richness of the nawabs of Oudh attracted foreigners. These albums contain a large number of miniatures painted in the traditional Mughal style, characterized by an exceptionally large format in the history of Indian painting, which is perfectly illustrated by this entertainment scene.
Condition :
Slightly raised. Small chips (x4) mainly on the edges. Moisture on the bottom repainted or repentance on the stairs.
Expert : Anne-Sophie Joncoux
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