A ROYAL ELEPHANT AND MAHOUT
KOTAH, LATE 18TH CENTURY
KOTAH, LATE 18TH CENTURY
Opaque watercolor and ink on paper.
11 3/4 x 19 5/8 in. (29.9 x 49.7 cm), irregular
Although shackled to the tree, the elephant appears very excited, with his front left leg raised and his red-rimmed eye keenly staring ahead. His mahout sits behind his neck, commanding the pachyderm with his long goad. The artist has adopted a minimal approach, as seen in the simple linear modeling and restrained coloring, yet his mastery is revealed by the spontaneous and confident strokes animating his subject.
Provenance:
German Private Collection
Christie's, New York, 21 March 2012, lot 755
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KOTAH, LATE 18TH CENTURY
KOTAH, LATE 18TH CENTURY
Opaque watercolor and ink on paper.
11 3/4 x 19 5/8 in. (29.9 x 49.7 cm), irregular
Although shackled to the tree, the elephant appears very excited, with his front left leg raised and his red-rimmed eye keenly staring ahead. His mahout sits behind his neck, commanding the pachyderm with his long goad. The artist has adopted a minimal approach, as seen in the simple linear modeling and restrained coloring, yet his mastery is revealed by the spontaneous and confident strokes animating his subject.
Provenance:
German Private Collection
Christie's, New York, 21 March 2012, lot 755
Estimate
Time, Location
Auction House
