Lot Essay
Depictions of groups of women in the zenana or engaged in leisurely activities outdoors was a common theme in eighteenth century Deccani painting. The composition of our painting, including the posture of the women and the rendition of the foliage above, is very similar to an early eighteenth painting in the Chester Beatty Library depicting a party of women seated around and bathing in a lotus-filled lake at night. (L.Y. Leach, Indian Miniature Paintings and Drawings, The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, 1986, no. 9.653, pp.924-925).