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Lot Essay
This moody candlelit scene of mystics happened upon by two soldiers is closely aligned with the work of the Mughal artist Payag. Payag, brother of the artist Balchand, had an impressively long career serving Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan from 1591-1658. His work can be generally split into two groups, the first comprise finely detailed manuscript illustrations and portraits of his imperial patrons, including a remarkable portrait of Shah Jahan on horseback in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (55.121.10.21). The other group, for which he is perhaps better known, are much moodier and expressionistic often including ascetics. Our painting belongs to this latter group.
This painting is very similar to another with the same composition, arrangement of figures and landscape which is in the Bodleian Library, Oxford (Or.a.1, f.38b). That painting is attributed to Balchand, circa 1645. The main difference between the two scenes is that Balchand's painting is far brighter and set in the daytime, whilst ours is at night in a manner much more typical of Payag. Payag and Balchand both painted versions of the same or similar scenes throughout their long careers in the Mughal atelier and a similar contrast can be seen comparing two interpretations of siege scenes for the Padshahnama (The Siege of Qandahar by Payag and A'zam Khan captures Fort Dharur by Balchand, Royal Collection Trust, RCIN 1005025, f.102b and f.92b; John Seyller, 'Payag', in Beach, Goswamy and Fischer (eds.), Masters of Indian Painting 1100-1650, Zurich, 2016, pp.329-30).
Although he worked on illustrations for large manuscript projects under Akbar, the artist's flourishing came working for Prince Selim in his atelier in Allahabad. It was from this time that Payag began developing his style culminating in the 'pioneering' night scenes of the 1640s and 1650s (Seyller, op.cit., p.321). Our painting is striking for its deeply atmospheric use of light against the gloom. More than other Mughal artists, Payag was deeply interested in the work of Renaissance masters and their experimentation with chiarascuro and the effects of light. This was demonstrated to its greatest extent in a painting of Aurangzeb with a young woman on a terrace, circa 1638, where the careful placement of candles illuminate just enough of the key details of the scene (Aga Khan Museum, AKM00189). As Linda York Leach writes "Payag's genius in manipulating the effects of light was unique and was frequently employed in his later compositions" (Mughal and Other Indian Paintings from the Chester Beatty Library, London, 1992, p.354).
In its atmospheric style and subject our painting relates to another of mystics around a campfire attributed to Payag which was sold in Sotheby's London, 9 April 2008, lot 60. Additional similar scenes include a group of ascetics around a fire from the St Petersburg Muraqqa' (Russian Academy of Sciences, E-14, f.44a), a group of soldiers listening to music beneath a mango tree (Chester Beatty Library, acc.no. In 07B.20) and a group of travellers gathered at night (San Diego Museum of Art, inv.no. 1990.350). In addition to each work demonstrating Payag's fascination with mastering the atmospheric effects of light, the paintings share a characteristically European approach for depicting trees and foliage as well as repeating incidental details such as the peacock feather fan set just in front of the closest figure in our scene. Furthermore, each work exhibits Payag's interest in creating drama through the asymmetrical arrangement of forms to create his compositions (Seyller, op.cit., p.321)
In the present painting the light from fires and lanterns casts just enough light to reveal figures which are also characteristic of Payag's highly individual style. Great interest is given by the artist to the volume of the figures within the space and their unconventional but strongly characterised portraits. The portraits are modelled with nuanced stippling and heightened contrast with typical furrowed brows and squinting eyes (Seyller, op.cit., p. 327). Of the two soldiers in our painting, one stoops to drink water from his hands which is a pose and action mirrored by a similar figure in the Chester Beatty painting of soldiers beneath a mango tree.
Paintings attributed to Payag have sold in these Rooms, including a painting of the goddess Bagalamukhi , 25 October 2018 and a portrait of Jai Singh Kachhawa of Amber from the late Shah Jahan album, 26 October 2017, lot 180. A painting of Sri Bhairavi Devi with Shiva attributable to Payag from the collection of Stuart Cary Welch was sold Sotheby's London, 31 May 2011, lot 5.
This painting is very similar to another with the same composition, arrangement of figures and landscape which is in the Bodleian Library, Oxford (Or.a.1, f.38b). That painting is attributed to Balchand, circa 1645. The main difference between the two scenes is that Balchand's painting is far brighter and set in the daytime, whilst ours is at night in a manner much more typical of Payag. Payag and Balchand both painted versions of the same or similar scenes throughout their long careers in the Mughal atelier and a similar contrast can be seen comparing two interpretations of siege scenes for the Padshahnama (The Siege of Qandahar by Payag and A'zam Khan captures Fort Dharur by Balchand, Royal Collection Trust, RCIN 1005025, f.102b and f.92b; John Seyller, 'Payag', in Beach, Goswamy and Fischer (eds.), Masters of Indian Painting 1100-1650, Zurich, 2016, pp.329-30).
Although he worked on illustrations for large manuscript projects under Akbar, the artist's flourishing came working for Prince Selim in his atelier in Allahabad. It was from this time that Payag began developing his style culminating in the 'pioneering' night scenes of the 1640s and 1650s (Seyller, op.cit., p.321). Our painting is striking for its deeply atmospheric use of light against the gloom. More than other Mughal artists, Payag was deeply interested in the work of Renaissance masters and their experimentation with chiarascuro and the effects of light. This was demonstrated to its greatest extent in a painting of Aurangzeb with a young woman on a terrace, circa 1638, where the careful placement of candles illuminate just enough of the key details of the scene (Aga Khan Museum, AKM00189). As Linda York Leach writes "Payag's genius in manipulating the effects of light was unique and was frequently employed in his later compositions" (Mughal and Other Indian Paintings from the Chester Beatty Library, London, 1992, p.354).
In its atmospheric style and subject our painting relates to another of mystics around a campfire attributed to Payag which was sold in Sotheby's London, 9 April 2008, lot 60. Additional similar scenes include a group of ascetics around a fire from the St Petersburg Muraqqa' (Russian Academy of Sciences, E-14, f.44a), a group of soldiers listening to music beneath a mango tree (Chester Beatty Library, acc.no. In 07B.20) and a group of travellers gathered at night (San Diego Museum of Art, inv.no. 1990.350). In addition to each work demonstrating Payag's fascination with mastering the atmospheric effects of light, the paintings share a characteristically European approach for depicting trees and foliage as well as repeating incidental details such as the peacock feather fan set just in front of the closest figure in our scene. Furthermore, each work exhibits Payag's interest in creating drama through the asymmetrical arrangement of forms to create his compositions (Seyller, op.cit., p.321)
In the present painting the light from fires and lanterns casts just enough light to reveal figures which are also characteristic of Payag's highly individual style. Great interest is given by the artist to the volume of the figures within the space and their unconventional but strongly characterised portraits. The portraits are modelled with nuanced stippling and heightened contrast with typical furrowed brows and squinting eyes (Seyller, op.cit., p. 327). Of the two soldiers in our painting, one stoops to drink water from his hands which is a pose and action mirrored by a similar figure in the Chester Beatty painting of soldiers beneath a mango tree.
Paintings attributed to Payag have sold in these Rooms, including a painting of the goddess Bagalamukhi , 25 October 2018 and a portrait of Jai Singh Kachhawa of Amber from the late Shah Jahan album, 26 October 2017, lot 180. A painting of Sri Bhairavi Devi with Shiva attributable to Payag from the collection of Stuart Cary Welch was sold Sotheby's London, 31 May 2011, lot 5.