Rare Paintings
 27 May 2010 Rare Paintings
J. William Grant's bungalow at Cawnpore - 1814.

Watercolour of a bungalow at Kanpur from 'Views by Seeta Ram from Cawnpore to Mohumdy Vol. IV' produced for Lord Moira, afterwards the Marquess of Hastings, by Sita Ram between 1814-15. Marquess of Hastings, the Governor-General of Bengal and the... Read More
 25 May 2010 Rare Paintings
The Ghats at Hardwar - 1814.

Watercolour of the ghats at Haridwar 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 Bengal and the Commander-in-Ch... Read More
 25 May 2010 Rare Paintings
The Iron Pillar and the great screen of the Quwwat al-Islam Mosque - 1815.

Watercolour of the Iron Pillar and the Quwwat al-Islam Mosque from 'Views by Seeta Ram from Delhi to Tughlikabad Vol. VII' produced for Lord Moira, afterwards the Marquess of Hastings, by Sita Ram between 1814-15. Marqu... Read More
 23 May 2010 Rare Paintings
CHAND BIBI Hawking with Attendants in a Landscape, ca. 1700;
Mughal India
Opaque watercolors, gold, and silver on card-weight paper

This painting is an accomplished example of a theme that attained popularity in Deccani painting. Chand Bibi was a legendary queen of Ahmadnagar in the Deccan, ... Read More
 22 May 2010 Rare Paintings
| Thematic Essay |
The Art of the Mughals after 1600.

After the death of Akbar, architect of the Mughal empire and active patron of the arts, his son Jahangir (r. 1605–27) ascended to the throne. As a prince, Jahangir had established his own atelier in Allahabad and had strong artistic tastes... Read More
 22 May 2010 Rare Paintings
The four-pillared mantapam of the Vijayanagar period in front of the unfinished gopuram of the modern temple, Mahabalipuram - 1825.

Watercolour of a pavilion of the Vijayanagar period in front of an unfinished gopuram of a temple, by John Gantz, c. 1825. Inscribed: 'The Muntapom at Mahabalipoo... Read More
 22 May 2010 Rare Paintings
View of the ghat and ruined temple of Walkeshwar, near Malabar Point, Bombay - 1850.

Watercolour painting of the ghat and ruined temple of Walkeshwar near Malabar Point in Bombay by William Carpenter (1818-1899) between 1850 and 1856. Inscribed on the reverse and on the mount is: 'Walkeshwur'.... Read More
 20 May 2010 Rare Paintings
The Krishna Mandapa cave, Mahabalipuram - 1825

Watercolour of the Krishna Mandapa cave at Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu, by John Gantz, c. 1825. Inscribed: 'S E View of Krishna's Choutry Mahabalipoorum. J. Gantz'.

John Gantz (1772-1853) and his son Justinian ran a lithographic press, but are ... Read More
 19 May 2010 Rare Paintings
Man's Robe, second half of 17th century, Mughal
India
Painted cotton with applied gold leaf

The early Mughal rulers Akbar and Jahangir were interested in fashion stuffs, carpets, and ornamental textiles. Both emperors had a penchant for inventing new names for garments and other clothing. Ak... Read More
 17 May 2010 Rare Paintings
WILLEM SCHELLINKS
Four Sons of Shah Jahan 1770s
V&A

Willem Schellinks (1623-78) and Francois Bernier (1620-88)

Two paintings of similar composition by Willem Schellinks are among the most curious depictions from the hands of a seventeenth-century Dutch artist. One version of the picture i... Read More
 12 May 2010 Rare Paintings
View of the Hoally Gateway, where Tipu Sultan was killed, Seringapatam - 1799.

Watercolour of a view of Hoally Gateway in Seringapatam by Thomas Sydenham (1780-1816) c.1799. Inscribed on the front in ink: 'View of the Hoally Gateway in which Tippoo Sultaun was killed. T. Sydenham'; on the back... Read More
 8 May 2010 Rare Paintings
The fort of Bangalore, from a village outside the main gate -1791.

Water-colour painting of the fort of Bangalore, from a village outside the main gate by an anonymous artist, c.1790 - 1792.

Bangalore Fort was originally built out of mud by Kempe Gowda, a feudatory chief of the Vijayanagar ... Read More
 7 May 2010 Rare Paintings
COMPANY PAINTING IN NINETEENTH-CENTURY INDIA.

As the British East India Company expanded its purview in South Asia during the late 1700s, great numbers of its employees moved from England to carve out new lives for themselves in India. As they traveled through the country and encountered unusu... Read More
 7 May 2010 Rare Paintings
View of a Mosque and Gateway in Upper Bengal, ca. 1820–21
Sita Ram (Indian, active 1810–22)
India (Bengal) Watercolor on paper

Sita Ram, painter of this idyllic scene, was hired to record the travels of Francis Rawdon, the governor-general of Bengal (1814–21). Sita Ram had trained in M... Read More
 6 May 2010 Rare Paintings
Figures in the Courtyard of a Mosque - 1893
By Edwin Lord Weeks

Edwin Lord Weeks is one of the most celebrated of the American Orientalist, this certainly being so during his lifetime, and although quite a lot is recorded concerning his professional career and travels, much of this from his o... Read More
 6 May 2010 Rare Paintings
The Krishna temple at Patan - 1845.

Watercolour drawing of the Krishna temple at Lalitpur (Patan) in Nepal, by an anonymous artist working in the Nepalese school, c. 1843-1846. The image, set within a black frame, is inscribed on the front in pencil: 'No. 14. Temple at Patan. Krishna Deo.' The... Read More
 6 May 2010 Rare Paintings
The Shrine of Shah Sharaf Bu 'Ali Qalandari at Panipat - 1840.

Watercolour of the shrine of Shah Sharaf Bu 'Ali Qalandari at Panipat in Haryana, attributed to Mazhar 'Ali Khan (fl.1840s), c. 1840. The image is inscribed beneath in Persian: 'naqsha-i dargah-i hazrat Bu 'Ali Qalandar dar Banipat.'... Read More
 5 May 2010 Rare Paintings
KATWA, Burdwan District, from the river - 1820.

Watercolour by Sir Charles D'Oyly of Katoya in the Barddhaman District of West Bengal, from an album in red leather covers with a gold stamped border, containing 28 water-colours of a trip along the Bhagirathi and Ganges Rivers, dated August to O... Read More
 5 May 2010 Rare Paintings
Mosque at Seringapatam (Mysore) - July 1799.

Water-colour painting of a mosque at Seringapatam by Colin MacKenzie (1754-1821) in July 1799. Inscribed on the front in ink is: 'Grand Mosque at Seringapatam after the Capture of the Place in May. Drawn in July, 1799.'


Srirangapatnam is an isl... Read More
 28 Apr 2010 Rare Paintings
Three women and two drummers before a shrine to Krishna - 1870.

Watercolour of three women and two drummers before a shrine to Krishna, by an anonymous artist working in the Manipur style, c. 1870. Inscribed: 'Dancing before a Hindu God.'

Krishna is one of the incarnations of Vishnu and is ... Read More
 23 Apr 2010 Rare Paintings
Calcutta house surrounded by a garden with tank and out-houses - 1845.

Watercolour of a Calcutta house by Shaikh Muhammad Amir of Karraya (fl.1830s-40s), c. 1845.
Shaikh Muhammad Amir of Karraya was one of the most prolific Calcutta artists producing work for the British in the 1830's and 40'... Read More