Rare Paintings
 23 Feb 2011 Rare Paintings
Water Palace, Chitore - 1878

Oil painting of Padmini's Palace in Chittaurgarh, Rajasthan by Marianne North, dated December 1878.

Initially Marianne North (1830-1890) only painted botanical specimens and travelled around the world in search of interesting subject matter. She visited India in... Read More
 17 Feb 2011 Rare Paintings
The Muharram Festival - Asaf al-Daula, Nawab of Oudh, listening at night to the maulvi reading from the scriptures - 1795

Watercolour of the Muharram Festival, part of the Hyde collection, by an unknown artist working in the Murshidabad style, c. 1795. Inscribed on the back in pencil: 'The Nub... Read More
 17 Feb 2011 Rare Paintings
Ibrahim Adham Visited by Two Angels - Mid-1700's.

Ibrahim Adham Visted by Two Angels. India, Oudh, mid-18th Century. Gouache and gold on paper; mounted on an album page with gilt borders and bright flowers; depicting the ascetic, Ibrahim Adham, meditating before a fire in a landscape under moo... Read More
 12 Feb 2011 Rare Paintings
Sir John Dalling, Governor of Madras, in two Tanjore School paintings, c.1875-86

"Tanjore School, circa 1785-6. Sir John Dalling and fellow officers in procession; and Sir John Dalling and fellow officers watching a nautch; one with inscription 'General Sir John Dalling. Bart/Governor of Madra... Read More
 10 Feb 2011 Rare Paintings
View of Mysore - 1823 or between 1831 and 1837, during Cormack's residence in India.

Water-colour painting of Mysore by Neil Cormack (fl. 1814-1837) dated to either 1823 or between 1831 and 1837, during Cormack's residence in South India. Inscribed on the back in ink is: 'Mysore from the Tank.... Read More
 8 Feb 2011 Rare Paintings
Grand 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 ... Read More
 8 Feb 2011 Rare Paintings
Tomb of a Killadar (Governor of a Fort) Ouscottah (Hoskote) - 1792

Watercolour after an original sketch by James Hunter of the tomb of a 'Killadar' (governor of a fort) at Hoskote in Karnataka, dated circa 1792. This appears to be a preparatory drawing by William Orme for the aquatint, Plate 2... Read More
 6 Feb 2011 Rare Paintings
Dagger, ca. 1620; Mughal
Indian
Steel, gold, rubies, emeralds, textile

The hilt of the dagger is constructed of heavy sections of gold over an iron core and its scabbard mounts are of solid gold. All the intricately engraved surfaces are set with gems and colored glass finely cut with floral... Read More
 6 Feb 2011 Rare Paintings
Preparations for a Hunt, ca. 1680; Mughal
India
Opaque watercolor on paper

In a landscape rendered in washy earth tones, Mughal hunters look on as a herd of nilgai ("blue" deer) graze in a scrubland near a lotus-filled pond. The four imperial huntsmen, dressed in green, conceal themselves be... Read More
 5 Feb 2011 Rare Paintings
The Victory of the Imperial Mughal Army over Sultan Adam - 1590-1595 (painted)
Artist/Maker: Tulsi (artist), Bhawani (artist), Sanwala (artist)

This illustration to the Akbarnama (Book of Akbar) depicts the victory of the imperial Mughal army, led by Qutb ud-Din and Sharif Khan, over Sultan A... Read More
 2 Feb 2011 Rare Paintings
Delhie Book - General view of mosque round Qutb Minar (top right), Cloister and screen of the mosque round Qutb Minar (bottom right) - 1843

[From 'Reminiscences of Imperial Delhi’, an album consisting of 89 folios containing approximately 130 paintings of views of the Mughal and pre-Mughal mon... Read More
 2 Feb 2011 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. Marque... Read More
 1 Feb 2011 Rare Paintings
The Princeton Shahnama Project

This website is an archive of book paintings--commonly known as Persian Miniatures--that were created to illustrate scenes from the Persian national epic, the Shahnama (the Book of Kings). The Shahnama is a poem of some 50,000 couplets that was composed by Abu'l... Read More
 31 Jan 2011 Rare Paintings
Delhie Book - Tughlaqabad (left), The tomb of the Emperor Ghiyas al-Din Tughlaq (right) - 1843

[From 'Reminiscences of Imperial Delhi’, an album consisting of 89 folios containing approximately 130 paintings of views of the Mughal and pre-Mughal monuments of Delhi, as well as other contemporar... Read More
 31 Jan 2011 Rare Paintings
Kotla Firuz Shah, Delhi - 1823

Watercolour of Kotla Firuz Shah, Delhi, by a Delhi artist, c.1820-25. Inscribed on front in English: 'Feroze Shah's Pillar;' in Persian characters: 'Naqshah i kotlah i kunhan i mutassil i Dihli i mashhur ast' (Picture of the famous old kotla near Delhi). Firoz Sh... Read More
 31 Jan 2011 Rare Paintings
The interior of the tomb of Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq - 1815

Watercolour of the tomb of Ghiyath-ud-din Tughlaq 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. Marquess of Hastings, the Governor... Read More
 21 Jan 2011 Rare Paintings
A group of temples at Rajghat at Benares - 1814

Watercolour of temples near Rajghat in Varanasi from 'Views by Seeta Ram from Patna to Benares Vol. II' produced for Lord Moira, afterwards the Marquess of Hastings, by Sita Ram between 1814-15. Marquess of Hastings, the Governor-General of Benga... Read More
 21 Jan 2011 Rare Paintings
Architectural drawing of a window at Benares - 1814

Watercolour of a window in Varanasi from 'Views by Seeta Ram from Benares to Nazibghur Vol. III' produced for Lord Moira, afterwards the Marquess of Hastings, by Sita Ram between 1814-15. Marquess of Hastings, the Governor-General of Bengal a... Read More
 20 Jan 2011 Rare Paintings
Landscape with rocky hills, Matheran, Bombay -1854

Water-colour painting of a landscape with rocky hills at Matheran, Bombay by Melville Clarke (1834-1878), c.1854. Inscribed on the reverse is: 'Matheran'.

This water-colour came from a collection depicting hill stations near Poona and may h... Read More
 11 Jan 2011 Rare Paintings
Village on the river bank near Hurrodham (Bengal) - 10 September 1788

Water-colour painting of a village on the river bank near Hurrodham (Bengal) by Thomas (1749-1840) and William (1769-1837) Daniell, 10 September 1788. Inscribed on the front of the mount in pencil is: 'Near Harradum. Hurdum'... Read More
 11 Jan 2011 Rare Paintings
'View in the Tinnevele District, East India'. Engraving by Letitia Byrne after the painting by Thomas Daniell - 1809

Engraving by Letitia Byrne (1779-1849) after the painting by Thomas Daniell (1749-1849) entitled 'View in the Tinnevele District, East India', (Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu), publi... Read More