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Lot 4
 
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A QUEEN VISITS AN ASCETIC







  Lot 4 of 55  

INDIAN ANTIQUITIES & MINIATURE PAINTINGS
25-26 APRIL 2012

Estimate



Winning Bid
Rs 4,80,000
$9,600

(Inclusive of Buyer's Premium)


DETAILS

A Queen Visits an Ascetic

c. 1700

Deccan School

Size: 9 x 7 in (22.5 x 17.8 cm)
The Deccan School is among the most important schools of Indian miniature painting.

This painting from the Deccan shows a beautiful Queen, accompanied by her female attendant, paying visit to an aged ascetic. The hermit is seated on a tiger skin and has an attendant standing behind him. The Queen wears a maroon blouse and a long golden skirt with a transparent veil covering her head. She wears gold and pearl jewellery and is kneeling down in reverence as she offers a pot full of flowers to the hermit. Her maid stands behind her carrying a plate of gold with offerings.

The ascetic is aged, has a long white beard and hair flowing all the way down to his hips. He sits in an unusual posture, on his haunches, with his legs bent at the knees. His expression is calm as his eyes travel into an endless horizon indicating his trance like state of mind. He is oblivious of the people around him including the visiting royalty. His left hand motions upwards praising the lord, a practice seen among divine hermits. His upper body is bare and his lower garment is a maroon colored dhoti. A rudraksha maala (neck piece) adorns his neck. His attendant is a tall and lanky youth, bare-bodied, wearing a dhoti and holding a 'morchal' (peacock feather fan). He also has long hair indicating that he is a disciple who has joined the hermit to gain knowledge.

This painting has innumerable interesting features. The two trees are typical of the Deccan School, with the leaves defined in stylized clusters. The figures stand in an island like formation as a river flows above and below the group. Fishes and swans can be seen in motion in the water body. As is the case with such paintings, it can be noted that the water was given a silver colour that has now darkened over time. A rocky mauve colored mountain with architectural structures on the horizon can be seen in the upper half of the painting. The style in which the mountains and curvilinear clouds are depicted is very Persian. The fine outlining on the hermit's body shows the skill of the artist. The facial features, the foliage of the trees, the background etc. are all features of the Deccan School. This is a fine example from this highly coveted atelier.

Queen Visits Ascetic

Published dimensions of this Lot are those of the full paper size and not the visible size of this Lot

Category: Antiquty


 









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