Lovers on a palace terrace at night

Kangra, circa 1835 A.D.

Opaque watercolour and gold on paper

195 by 14 mm.

Pahari or "Hill School" painting at this period is usually restricted to the depiction of decorous court scenes, or Hindu epics, and an explicitly erotic scene of the type more usually found in Rajasthan is unusual. A number of the royal courts of the Punjab and the Hills were of course Sikh, and here the male figure wears a Sikh style turban. As is usual for erotic scenes of this type, the facial expressions are emotionless.

The miniature is an excellent example of the Kangra style at this period, with great attention to detail in the treatment of the stars in the sky, the textiles and the figures' jewellery.

Provenance

Private collection, Switzerland