Miniatura

ref. 119661 — Mughal India possibly Murshidabad mid- to late-18th century. . Single miniature painting on card opaque pigments with gold depicting a scene with a Prince on horseback accepting a drink from a gold vessel from a village maiden miniature 282 x 179 mm full album page 394 x 255 mm; painting framed within multiple gilt rulings innermost frame painted with delicate pink and white flowers on a spiralling green vine set against a richly gilt background some very minor surface soiling overall in exceptionally bright and attractive condition floating in modern cream mount. Scenes painted around imagined amorous encounters between the 'prince and village girl' were popular among artists during the late Mughal period in centres such as Delhi Lucknow and Murshidabad. The concept of 'love at first sight' was similarly echoed in the tradition of the courtly poets of the pan-European middle ages and can be seen echoed through their visual arts. The inspiration behind the theme in this painting was likely rooted in Persian literary sources the Nayrang'i Eshq The Charm of Love by Mughal Sufi poet Ghanimat Kunjahi d. 1695 AD being one such example. Written during a period of considerable Muslim-Hindu cultural interaction the poem was later absorbed into Sanskrit works and grew further in popularity. One notable section of the poem stanza 40.7 describes how in pursuit of a stag Shahid comes upon a village where he is struck by the sight of village girls at a well and is particularly struck by the beauty of Wafa the daughter of the village headsman see C. Shackle Persian Poetry and Q dir Sufism in Later Mughal India: Ghan mat Kunj h and his Mathnaw -yi Nayrang-i 'ishq in The Heritage of Sufism: Volume 3 Late Classical Persianate Sufism Boston 1999. In this painting a beautiful maiden leans across to offer the handsome stranger a drink from the well. Neither appears abashed and their eyes fix upon each other as if a spell has been cast. Of note is the way their hands come together around the vessel of water though they do not touch. The mono green background gives a prominence to this encounter watched by the other village girls. There are subtle details that give context to the scene – the stranger's courtly attire and jewelled ruby dagger. His companion's falcon hints at their noble status. By contrast the village girl's sari is tied in the style of a working women as she draws water from the well. For notable examples see Indian Painting 1600–1870 Oliver Forge & Brendon Lynch New York 2012 and Painting 91 in Domains of Wonder B.N Goswamy & C. Smith 2006. Mughal India, possibly Murshidabad, mid- to late-18th century. unknown