Rare Paintings
 8 Sep 2010 Rare Paintings
The Purana Qila from the north, with Humayun's Tomb beyond - 1815.

Watercolour of Purana Qila 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-General of Be... Read More
 4 Sep 2010 Rare Paintings
Buildings and ruined masonry on the river bank, Colgong (Bihar) - 1814

Water-colour painting of buildings on the river bank at Colgong (Bihar) by Robert Smith (1787-1873) between 1814 and 1815. Inscribed on the original mount in pencil is: 'Colgong.' The paper is watermarked 'VEIC 1807'.

Co... Read More
 3 Sep 2010 Rare Paintings
Mural painting of the Bodhisattva Padmapani ('Bearer of the Lotus'), 6th century, Cave 1, Ajanta
Photograph: © John Huntington

Ajanta Caves
Located in a horseshoe-shaped escarpment in the hills of the Deccan plateau, near the city of Aurangabad, the site of Ajanta was initially settled in th... Read More
 1 Sep 2010 Rare Paintings
Yechu Mussavir
Ranjit Singh on his Golden Throne
Opaque watercolor and gold on paper, ca. 1830
India, Punjab state
Edwin Binney 3rd Collection

Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780–1839) is the most celebrated ruler among the Sikhs, a religious group founded in northern India by Guru Nanak in the 15... Read More
 1 Sep 2010 Rare Paintings
Maharaja Ranjit Singh - 1830

This miniature of the first Sikh Maharaja of the Punjab at Lahore, Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780-1839), known as the 'Lion of Punjab', is from an album made in 1830. The album contains family biographies, in Persian, of princely families in the Sikh and Rajput territ... Read More
 31 Aug 2010 Rare Paintings
A budgerow with a palanquin stowed on the cabin roof in the foreground - 1820.

Watercolour by Sir Charles D'Oyly of a budgerow with a palanquin stowed on the cabin roof, from an album in red leather covers with a gold stamped border, containing 28 water-colours of a trip along the Bhagirathi a... Read More
 30 Aug 2010 Rare Paintings
The mosque of Roshan al-Daula in Chandni Chowk - 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 contemporary material, with an accompanying manuscri... Read More
 28 Aug 2010 Rare Paintings
Nathu Lal
A Seth seated in a Chair
Opaque watercolor and gold on paper, ca. 1870India, Jaipur
Edwin Binney 3rd Collection

Between the 18th and early 20th centuries, many towns of Rajasthan were home to some of India’s wealthiest families, who interacted with local rulers, Mughal emperors, a... Read More
 28 Aug 2010 Rare Paintings
A Maratha Wearing a Red Shawl
Opaque watercolor and gold on ivory, ca. 1820
India, probably Tanjore (Tanjavur)
Edwin Binney 3rd Collection
1990:920

“Maratha” refers to a prominent Hindu warrior class that originated in western India. By the early 19th century Maratha groups had gained cont... Read More
 27 Aug 2010 Rare Paintings
Houses along the river bank, one flying the union flag, state barges and budgerows in the foreground - 1820

Watercolour by Sir Charles D'Oyly of houses along the river bank, one flying the union flag, state barges and budgerows in the foreground, from an album in red leather covers with a gold... Read More
 26 Aug 2010 Rare Paintings
A steep promontory with ruins by moonlight - 1820

Watercolour by Sir Charles D'Oyly of a steep promontory with ruins by moonlight, 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 Octob... Read More
 24 Aug 2010 Rare Paintings
The city of Benares from Amrit Rao's Ghat to the Munshi Ghat - 22 November 1789.

Water-colour painting of the ghats on the river front at Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) from Amrit Rao's Ghat to the Munshi Ghat by Thomas (1749-1840) and William (1769-1837) Daniell, 22 November 1789. Inscribed on the ... Read More
 22 Aug 2010 Rare Paintings
Caves at Patharghata, two from a group of five - 1820.

Watercolour by Sir Charles D'Oyly of two caves, from a group of five, at Patharghat in Bihar, 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, dat... Read More
 12 Aug 2010 Rare Paintings
The Tomb of Auranzebe - He desired in his will that not more than 8 rupees was to be expended on it.

Water-colour painting of the tomb of Aurangzeb at Khuldabad in Maharashtra by William Carpenter (1818-1899), 1850-1856.

The simple grave of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, ruled 1658-1707, com... Read More
 11 Aug 2010 Rare Paintings
Believes in past, lives in future -
Dr. Kudavayil M. Balasubramanian takes Olympia Shilpa Gerald centuries back in time.

He treads across the stone floor of the 1,000 year old Rajarajeswaram temple, as his hands caress the stone walls. He walks barefoot in the precincts, pausing to decipher a... Read More
 10 Aug 2010 Rare Paintings
IN THE COMPANY OF ART
The Company School of Painting, or pictures made by artists during the British Raj, refers to the genre of pictures that were specifically commissioned by or made for the John Company officials and other European residents. Pran Nevile gives a vivid account of the socio-cul... Read More
 10 Aug 2010 Rare Paintings
South view of Begum Samru's House (top left), North view of Begum Samru's house (bottom left) - 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 cont... Read More
 10 Aug 2010 Rare Paintings
The camp of the Begum Samru at Narela - 1815

Watercolour of camp of Begum Samru at Narela from 'Views by Seeta Ram from Gheen to Delhi Vol. VI' produced for Lord Moira, afterwards the Marquess of Hastings, by Sita Ram between 1814-15. Marquess of Hastings, the Governor-General of Bengal and th... Read More
 6 Aug 2010 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
 4 Aug 2010 Rare Paintings
Ibrahim Adil Shah II (r.1579-1627), a 17th-century Deccani painting

A Portrait of Ibrahim Adil Shah II (r.1579-1627). India, Deccan, 17th Century. Depicting the corpulent sultan set against a blue-gray ground in a salmon colored jama and transparent robes with foliate hems and colorful lattice... Read More
 2 Aug 2010 Rare Paintings
Sir Charles D'Oyly
"One of the most popular artists of British India, Sir Charles D’Oyly was known for his perceptive delineation of Indian women in the 19th century."

British artists began arriving in India in the 1760s. They were the first to draw true-to-life pictures of the Indian panoram... Read More