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Artworks
Khusraw spies on Shirin and her Companions bathing, Bikaner, c. 1675
Opaque pigments and gold on paper laid down on an album leaf
Nasta’liq and kaithi-style inscriptions, date and seal on the versoFolio: 26.5 x 15.5 cm; painting: 20 x 11 cmThe painting has many elements indebted to Deccani painting, particularly the tall screen of schematic rocks within the narrow composition and the prevalence of pastels, olive green, and tin in...The painting has many elements indebted to Deccani painting, particularly the tall screen of schematic rocks within the narrow composition and the prevalence of pastels, olive green, and tin in the palette. Even the spindly physique of the five waiting horses is characteristic of the Golconda style and its antecedents in Persian painting. Nonetheless, other aspects of the work would be altogether anomalous in any variety of Deccani painting. Amongst these are the broad white outlines articulating the contours and facets of the dark rocks in the lower half of the scene, as well as the rudimentary pattern of the ripples on the water’s surface. Finally, the loose rendering of the figures’ facial features – especially the ‘clamshell’ eyes of Shirin and two bathers – further supports the conclusion that the painting is a Rajput copy of a Deccani painting.
Full description by John Seyller available by request
