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Lot Essay
This painting and that of the preceding lot come from the same Ragamala series produced by the artists Fath Chand and Faqirullah. In around 1760, both artists were exponents of an almost pure Mughal style, notable for its neat and careful execution. However our paintings, like another Ragamala illustration by Fath Chand from a different series, show the artist varying his style towards that associated with Awadh (Toby Falk and Mildred Archer, Indian Miniatures in the India Office Library, London, 1981, no.202, p.427).
Other paintings by Fath Chand from the same series are in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, dated to circa 1750-60 (M.2004.180; published in India’s Fabled City, The Art of Courtly Lucknow, exhibition catalogue, Los Angeles, 2010, fig.19, p.242) and the Victoria and Albert Museum – there dated to 1760-70 (IS.42-1996; https://collections.vam.ac.uk/).
Other paintings by Fath Chand from the same series are in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, dated to circa 1750-60 (M.2004.180; published in India’s Fabled City, The Art of Courtly Lucknow, exhibition catalogue, Los Angeles, 2010, fig.19, p.242) and the Victoria and Albert Museum – there dated to 1760-70 (IS.42-1996; https://collections.vam.ac.uk/).