Lot Essay
A painting signed by Mir Kalan Khan in the David Collection (inv.981), has identical margins to our present painting (Kjeld von Folsach, Islamic Art: The David Collection, Copenhagen, 1990, no.53, p.67.). The David Collection example is more strongly influenced by Persian style than our present example. However, the facial depictions and the fluid wet-applied Deccani-influenced bright colours are typical of Mir Kalan Khan's style. For a further discussion on the artist's work see Terence McInerney's chapter in, Milo C. Beach, Eberhard Fischer, B. N. Goswamy, (ed.), Masters of Indian Painting, 2011, Vol. II, pp. 607- 622. In particular the rendering of the robes of the female devotees is very close to a painting also attributed to the artist in the collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (inv. AC1997.30.1; McInerney, op.cit., fig. 15, p. 622).