Rare Paintings
 30 Jan 2012 Rare Paintings
Painting; gouache, A Maratha couple, Tanjore, ca. 1822
Thanjavur, India

A Maratha couple; the man in black boots and a yellow spotted coat, his wife in orange and gold; temples,and a large cloud with trees in the background.

Source: V&A, London Read More
 29 Jan 2012 Rare Paintings
Painting of two Kashmiri dancing girls by William Carpenter, watercolour on paper, Kashmir, India, 1854

William Carpenter was trained at the Royal Academy Schools. He was in India from 1850 t0 1856, during which time he travelled extensively from Bombay (Mumbai) and across western India to Raj... Read More
 28 Jan 2012 Rare Paintings
'Kaffir, Kabul', 1836, by Godfrey Thomas Vigne FRGS
Watercolour

A Personal Narrative of a Visit to Ghuzni, Kabul, And Afghanistan ..., 1840 , p.384, wood engraving. The Siyahposh were a division of the Kafirs. On the Kafirs, see Vigne, pp.234-9.

- "Kafiristan or Kafirstan was a historic n... Read More
 27 Jan 2012 Rare Paintings
Krishna's combat with Indra, opaque watercolour and gold on paper, Mughal, India, ca.1585-90.

The battle between Krishna and Indra is shown to be taking place in the sky above a landscape strongly influenced by European painting. Gods and celestial beings hover in the billowing clouds. Krishna... Read More
 26 Jan 2012 Rare Paintings
Anvar-i Suhayli of al-Kashifi

Of the many versions of the Kalila wa Dimna, al-Kashifi's is the only one to include the story illustrated here. A gardener befriended a bear who killed him with a stone as he tried to swat the flies on the sleeping man's face.

Detached manuscript page from an ... Read More
 26 Jan 2012 Rare Paintings
Bank of America and CSMVS Museum to restore Anvar-i Suhayli
Business Standard - Jan 18, 2012

Bank of America has today announced that the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, Mumbai, (CSMVS Museum) will receive vital funding for the conservation of Anvar-i Suhayli. The restoration wil... Read More
 26 Jan 2012 Rare Paintings
The waterfall at Papanasam, Madras; view looking up the river Tambrapani, with steep, rocky and wooded banks, in foreground to right, two figures
Watercolour, over graphite.
By Thomas Daniell

The Tambrapani is a sacred river and devout Hindus immerse themselves in the water below the falls; ... Read More
 25 Jan 2012 Rare Paintings
Thakur Bhoj Raj Singh is portrayed sitting on a European chair holding the mouthpiece of his huqqa - 1874
Painted by Gopal, Agra

This Company Painting is a portrait of Thakur Bhoj Raj Singh seated on a European chair holding the mouthpiece of a huqqa. It was drawn by an artist named Gopal at ... Read More
 25 Jan 2012 Rare Paintings
Inscription: The man and his wife who being as a Gollo March by take very care the money - 1835
Tamil Nadu

Opaque watercolour painting on European paper of a man, possibly a factor or business agent, wearing a turban and a dhoti with an angavastra (shawl) draped over his chest and shoulder; his ... Read More
 23 Jan 2012 Rare Paintings
A watercolour of a a farmer with four bullocks threshing paddy. From a group of 35 drawings of trades and occupations - 1826

Marks and inscriptions:
'Dana nickalnewalla. Treader out of grain.'
John Hall 1819 and C. Wilmot 1821

Source: V&A, London Read More
 23 Jan 2012 Rare Paintings
A brightly coloured watercolour of four women selling food-grains, vegetables and fruit, in baskets, with purple and gold-flecked fawn borders, with white and red rules - 1850
By Shiva Dayal Lal ( born 1815 - died 1884)

The pictures made by Indian artists for the British in India are called C... Read More
 23 Jan 2012 Rare Paintings
Kutb, Khansamah (steward) to the Commander-in-chief, with his daughter - 1855.

William Carpenter was the eldest son of the distinguished portrait painter Margaret Sarah Carpenter and of William Hookham Carpenter, who became Keeper of the Prints and Drawings Department at the British Museum. I... Read More
 22 Jan 2012 Rare Paintings
Painting; watercolour, a woman food-vendor serving two travellers, Patna, ca. 1826.

Marks and inscriptions:
'Butiarnee. Traveller's cook.'
John Hall 1819 and C. Wilmot 1821

Source: V&A, London Read More
 22 Jan 2012 Rare Paintings
This painting depicts a cook (bawarchi) - 1850
Varanasi
On mica

Source: V&A, London Read More
 22 Jan 2012 Rare Paintings
Painting; mica,watercolour, A head with a background of ships' rigging and with a doorway in the foreground, ca.1830
Varanasi
By an unknown painter

Source: V&A, London Read More
 21 Jan 2012 Rare Paintings
Painting; gouache on mica, A paddle-steamer with blue pennant, wheel and deckhouse, Murshidabad, ca.1830.

These paintings were acquired by W.G. Archer in Patna in 1948 from Ishwari Prasad, the Patna painter, who attributed them to his Murshidabad ancestors and had retained them as models for f... Read More
 21 Jan 2012 Rare Paintings
Albumen print of Calcutta ships docked on the river Ganges - mid 19th century

Samuel Bourne (1834-1912) left his job as a bank clerk in Nottingham to become a professional photographer, and in 1863 sailed to India to develop his new career. He remained there for several years to become recogni... Read More
 19 Jan 2012 Rare Paintings
Distant view of the Jami Masjid from an upstairs balcony of a house, with other houses and crowds of people below - 1852.

This painting by William Carpenter (1818-1899) shows a view of the Jami Masjid in Delhi as seen from the upstairs balcony of a grand house, which overlooks the street leadi... Read More
 19 Jan 2012 Rare Paintings
Elevation of the front of the mausoleum of the Emperor Akbar at Sikandra near Agra. A riot of arches, domes and columns. The central archway is elaborately decorated in patterned tiles. Colours used: brick red, blue, white, green, brown - 1816.

This Company painting is from a portfolio of draw... Read More
 16 Jan 2012 Rare Paintings
Dust and babudom have mummified our museums
By Anil Dharker
Times of India - 15 January 2012

Here, at last, is some good news for our national treasures: the ministry of culture has announced a tie-up with the British Museum for a five-month leadership programme for senior personnel from Indian... Read More
 15 Jan 2012 Rare Paintings
The Mausoleum of Hafiz Rahmat Khan at Bareilly - 1814

Watercolour of mausoleum of Hafiz Rahmat Khan from 'Views by Seeta Ram from Mohumdy to Gheen Vol. V' produced for Lord Moira, afterwards the Marquess of Hastings, by Sita Ram between 1814-15. Marquess of Hastings, the Governor-General of Be... Read More