INDIA, PROVINCIAL MUGHAL, CIRCA 1780

The scene of the present painting, women serving a male traveler at a well, was a popular subject in 17th Imperial Mughal painting and even more-so 18^th century painting in the Mughal provinces. This charming painting stems from an Awadhi school, perhaps Faizabad or Lucknow. Both the Faizabad and Lucknow workshops flourished in the far-flung Mughal province in the eighteenth-century as the imperial ateliers saw a decline in patronage. The present work depicts a group of eager maidens serving water to a young equestrian nobleman. The subtle hues lend an pleasant palette, while the women’s water pots, along with the prince’s personal ornaments, are all heightened with gold. The artist uses gentle shading, delineating the soft curves of the figures. The cast is quite diverse, from a young maiden hiking up her skirt to work the well, to an older crouching woman drinking from the stream. An Imperial Revivalist style painting of this subject by the Awadhi artist Mihr Chand recently sold at Christie’s New York 23 March 2022, lot 483 for $50,400.