.jpg?w=1)
.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
Inscriptions:
'malkaus k(i)g... ragini 7(?)'
As with the previous lot, this painting exhibits many of the characteristics of the Sirohi school of the late 17th century. The school is characterised by attention to detail in costume and architectural embellishments as well as humorously following a convention of exchanging clothing on female figures and coloured backgrounds in architectural niches. Both paintings are surrounded with a margin in gradated shades of orange. This Sirohi signature gives the margins a sense of depth and possibly was intended to give the feeling of a viewing the work in a frame.
The painting illustrates the text for Malkos raga which describes a handsome and well-dressed lord attended on by women. However, slightly playing with the original formula whereby the lord is having music played for him, the artist here shows the lord himself playing the music. For two other Sirohi paintings, possibly from the same series, see Klaus Ebeling, Ragamala Painting, Basel, 1973, cat.196, p.243 and cat.293, p.270. Others have sold at Sotheby’s London, 16 June 2009, lot 9; Bonhams New York, 13 March 2017; and in these Rooms, 25 May 2017, lot 4.
'malkaus k(i)g... ragini 7(?)'
As with the previous lot, this painting exhibits many of the characteristics of the Sirohi school of the late 17th century. The school is characterised by attention to detail in costume and architectural embellishments as well as humorously following a convention of exchanging clothing on female figures and coloured backgrounds in architectural niches. Both paintings are surrounded with a margin in gradated shades of orange. This Sirohi signature gives the margins a sense of depth and possibly was intended to give the feeling of a viewing the work in a frame.
The painting illustrates the text for Malkos raga which describes a handsome and well-dressed lord attended on by women. However, slightly playing with the original formula whereby the lord is having music played for him, the artist here shows the lord himself playing the music. For two other Sirohi paintings, possibly from the same series, see Klaus Ebeling, Ragamala Painting, Basel, 1973, cat.196, p.243 and cat.293, p.270. Others have sold at Sotheby’s London, 16 June 2009, lot 9; Bonhams New York, 13 March 2017; and in these Rooms, 25 May 2017, lot 4.