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Lot Essay
Inscription: The inscription on the reverse in devanagri reads, raga shri raga
This Ragamala series was once attributed to the Pahari court of Bilaspur. However, Catherine Glynn in a new study of other illustrations from this same series has re-attributed them to the court of Chamba (Catherine Glynn, Robert Skelton and Anna L. Dallapiccola, Ragamala: Paintings from India, Exhibition Catalogue, London, 2011, p.34). The form of the figures is closely influenced by the Imperial Mughal style. In our painting the standing figure with his floral jama and two curved locks of hair hanging next to his ear show clear Mughal influence. However, the bold colours and the simplicity of the composition remind us that this is rather an elegant Pahari work. Another Ragamala painting from a comparable series with similar figures and strong colours is in the Rietberg Museum, attributed to Chamba circa 1700 (inv. RVI 953, Glynn {et. al.}, op.cit., fig.13, p. 34). Our Ragamala is also interesting in terms of provenance as it carries a stamp from the Royal Mandi Collection. The series was apparently rebound there in 1841. Three further folios from this same series are in the Claudio Moscatelli Collection (Glynn {et. al.}, op.cit., nos 7, 8 and 9, pp. 52 -57).
Nine further paintings from the series, attributed then to Bilaspur, were sold at Sotheby's, New York, 29 March 2006, lots 164 - 173.
This Ragamala series was once attributed to the Pahari court of Bilaspur. However, Catherine Glynn in a new study of other illustrations from this same series has re-attributed them to the court of Chamba (Catherine Glynn, Robert Skelton and Anna L. Dallapiccola, Ragamala: Paintings from India, Exhibition Catalogue, London, 2011, p.34). The form of the figures is closely influenced by the Imperial Mughal style. In our painting the standing figure with his floral jama and two curved locks of hair hanging next to his ear show clear Mughal influence. However, the bold colours and the simplicity of the composition remind us that this is rather an elegant Pahari work. Another Ragamala painting from a comparable series with similar figures and strong colours is in the Rietberg Museum, attributed to Chamba circa 1700 (inv. RVI 953, Glynn {et. al.}, op.cit., fig.13, p. 34). Our Ragamala is also interesting in terms of provenance as it carries a stamp from the Royal Mandi Collection. The series was apparently rebound there in 1841. Three further folios from this same series are in the Claudio Moscatelli Collection (Glynn {et. al.}, op.cit., nos 7, 8 and 9, pp. 52 -57).
Nine further paintings from the series, attributed then to Bilaspur, were sold at Sotheby's, New York, 29 March 2006, lots 164 - 173.