A LARGE (66 x 49 CM) INDIAN PAINTING OF A RULER RECEIVING A PRINCE AND RETINUE OF LADIES AT COURT
A LARGE (66 x 49 CM) INDIAN PAINTING OF A RULER RECEIVING A PRINCE AND RETINUE OF LADIES AT COURT, MUGHAL, DELHI SCHOOL, 19TH CENTURY
Expert's note
The unusually large scale, horizontal format, and meticulous attention to detail distinguish the present work as a fine and rare example of Delhi painting, far exceeding the dimensions of the album leaves and manuscript illustrations for which Indian miniature painting is best known, while preserving the refined brushwork and remarkable descriptive precision associated with that tradition. Many Delhi painters emerged from or were connected with the later Mughal ateliers and, following the East India Company's capture of the city in 1803, adapted established courtly techniques to the tastes of a growing British clientele. Their works frequently combined the clarity and jewel-like finish of Mughal painting with European conventions of perspective, modeling, and topographical observation.
North India. Ink, gold, and gouache on paper. Meticulously painted with delicate brushstrokes, featuring an elderly ruler seated on a throne flanked by three court ladies, and receiving a prince with an entourage of ladies and children, all dressed in colorful robes with detailed geometric patterns highlighted in gold. The ground further rendered with floral motifs and scrolling veins, and the sky washed in hues of blue and pale yellow, framed by a wide band of floral scrollwork.
Provenance: Sotheby's New York, 11 March 2005, lot 194. The Collection of David Redden, acquired from the above, thence by descent. The reverse of the frame with a label from the Sotheby's sale and another from A. P. F. Inc., Framemakers and Conservators, New York.
David Normand Redden (1949-2024) was an American auctioneer and vice‑chairman of Sotheby's, renowned as the longest‑serving auctioneer in the venerable house's modern history. Born in Canton (Guangzhou) to an American diplomatic family, he was educated in art history at Wesleyan University before joining Sotheby's in 1974, quickly rising from catalog trainee to auctioneer and, ultimately, vice‑chairman, a position he held from 2000 until his retirement in 2016. He conducted and developed auctions of iconic and significant items including copies of the Declaration of Independence, the Estate of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor collection, the Tyrannosaurus rex “Sue”, and the world's most valuable stamp, the British Guiana 1¢ Magenta. Beyond the rostrum, Redden was a passionate collector and innovator who helped expand Sotheby's categories into new areas of collecting enthusiasm. His archive was donated to the Getty Research Institute for future scholarship.
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, little soiling, and few minute touchups.
Dimensions: Image size 65.8 x 49.5 cm, Size incl. frame 79.3 x 62.6 cm
Set within a modern giltwood frame behind glass. (2)
Literature comparison:
Compare a related earlier Mughal painting by Fayzullah, Lucknow, dated 1755, in the Cleveland Museum of Art, 2013.343.a.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Bonhams London, 14 November 2023, lot 144
Price: GBP 44,800 or approx.
EUR 58,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: The Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II (reg. 1759-1806) in durbar, with noblemen, attendants, and the British Resident, Archibald Seton, Delhi, circa 1800
Expert remark: Compare the related manner of painting and motifs with similar patterns and broad gold-painted border. Note the different size (39 x 26.5 cm) and format.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Sotheby's London, 5 October 2011, lot 151
Mid-Estimate: GBP 42,500 or approx.
EUR 74,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: Nawab Abd Al-Rahman Khan of Jhaggar, Delhi, Company School, Signed by Ghulam Ali Khan, dated 1272 AH/1855 AD
Expert remark: Compare the related manner of painting. Note the similar format, different subject, and that the painting is a signed work by Ghulam Ali Khan, one of the foremost artists of the first half of the nineteenth century working for British patrons around Delhi.
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Estimate
Time, Location
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A LARGE (66 x 49 CM) INDIAN PAINTING OF A RULER RECEIVING A PRINCE AND RETINUE OF LADIES AT COURT, MUGHAL, DELHI SCHOOL, 19TH CENTURY
Expert's note
The unusually large scale, horizontal format, and meticulous attention to detail distinguish the present work as a fine and rare example of Delhi painting, far exceeding the dimensions of the album leaves and manuscript illustrations for which Indian miniature painting is best known, while preserving the refined brushwork and remarkable descriptive precision associated with that tradition. Many Delhi painters emerged from or were connected with the later Mughal ateliers and, following the East India Company's capture of the city in 1803, adapted established courtly techniques to the tastes of a growing British clientele. Their works frequently combined the clarity and jewel-like finish of Mughal painting with European conventions of perspective, modeling, and topographical observation.
North India. Ink, gold, and gouache on paper. Meticulously painted with delicate brushstrokes, featuring an elderly ruler seated on a throne flanked by three court ladies, and receiving a prince with an entourage of ladies and children, all dressed in colorful robes with detailed geometric patterns highlighted in gold. The ground further rendered with floral motifs and scrolling veins, and the sky washed in hues of blue and pale yellow, framed by a wide band of floral scrollwork.
Provenance: Sotheby's New York, 11 March 2005, lot 194. The Collection of David Redden, acquired from the above, thence by descent. The reverse of the frame with a label from the Sotheby's sale and another from A. P. F. Inc., Framemakers and Conservators, New York.
David Normand Redden (1949-2024) was an American auctioneer and vice‑chairman of Sotheby's, renowned as the longest‑serving auctioneer in the venerable house's modern history. Born in Canton (Guangzhou) to an American diplomatic family, he was educated in art history at Wesleyan University before joining Sotheby's in 1974, quickly rising from catalog trainee to auctioneer and, ultimately, vice‑chairman, a position he held from 2000 until his retirement in 2016. He conducted and developed auctions of iconic and significant items including copies of the Declaration of Independence, the Estate of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor collection, the Tyrannosaurus rex “Sue”, and the world's most valuable stamp, the British Guiana 1¢ Magenta. Beyond the rostrum, Redden was a passionate collector and innovator who helped expand Sotheby's categories into new areas of collecting enthusiasm. His archive was donated to the Getty Research Institute for future scholarship.
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, little soiling, and few minute touchups.
Dimensions: Image size 65.8 x 49.5 cm, Size incl. frame 79.3 x 62.6 cm
Set within a modern giltwood frame behind glass. (2)
Literature comparison:
Compare a related earlier Mughal painting by Fayzullah, Lucknow, dated 1755, in the Cleveland Museum of Art, 2013.343.a.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Bonhams London, 14 November 2023, lot 144
Price: GBP 44,800 or approx.
EUR 58,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: The Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II (reg. 1759-1806) in durbar, with noblemen, attendants, and the British Resident, Archibald Seton, Delhi, circa 1800
Expert remark: Compare the related manner of painting and motifs with similar patterns and broad gold-painted border. Note the different size (39 x 26.5 cm) and format.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Sotheby's London, 5 October 2011, lot 151
Mid-Estimate: GBP 42,500 or approx.
EUR 74,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: Nawab Abd Al-Rahman Khan of Jhaggar, Delhi, Company School, Signed by Ghulam Ali Khan, dated 1272 AH/1855 AD
Expert remark: Compare the related manner of painting. Note the similar format, different subject, and that the painting is a signed work by Ghulam Ali Khan, one of the foremost artists of the first half of the nineteenth century working for British patrons around Delhi.
Buyer's Premium
30%
Sale price
Estimate
Time, Location
Auction House
