Painting
c. 1580-1600 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This painting was done within the Mughal empire, probably between about 1580 and 1600. It depicts a lady bathing, remonstrating with a prince, while her six female companions, dressed in leaf garments, escape. It is an illustration to a poetical romance, and has been identified by Robert Skelton with an episode in the awadhi romance Mrigivati, written by the poet Qutban in AD 1504. Qutban was in the service of the Jaunpur king Husain Shah Sharqi, who lost his throne to Sikander Shah Lodi and lived as a refugee at Kahalgaon in Bengal.
According to the story the king had a favourite son who went hunting and followed a beautiful doe. The doe escaped into a lake and turned into a maiden. The prince remained at the lakeside waiting for her to reappear, and requested his father build a temple by the lake. He was advised that the maiden would return on the day of a religious festival and that he should steal her magic clothes to prevent her escape. He did this, but her six companions saw him, took their own clothes, and flew away. He then declared his love for her and they were married. [Robert Skelton, 25.8.1987]
A paraphrase of the story is found in K.J. Khandalavala and Moti Chandra, New Documents of Indian Painiting- a reappraisal, Bombay, 1969, p. 104.
According to the story the king had a favourite son who went hunting and followed a beautiful doe. The doe escaped into a lake and turned into a maiden. The prince remained at the lakeside waiting for her to reappear, and requested his father build a temple by the lake. He was advised that the maiden would return on the day of a religious festival and that he should steal her magic clothes to prevent her escape. He did this, but her six companions saw him, took their own clothes, and flew away. He then declared his love for her and they were married. [Robert Skelton, 25.8.1987]
A paraphrase of the story is found in K.J. Khandalavala and Moti Chandra, New Documents of Indian Painiting- a reappraisal, Bombay, 1969, p. 104.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Painted in opaque watercolour on paper |
| Brief description | Painting, lady, prince and fairy companions, opaque watercolour on paper, Mughal, Akbar period, c. 1580-1600 |
| Physical description | Painting, in opaque watercolour on paper. A lady bathing, remonstrating with a prince, while her six lady companions, dressed in leaf garments, escape. Illustration from romance poetry; consistent with an episode in the awadhi romance Mrigivati, written by the poet Qutban in AD 1504. Qutban was in the service of the Jaunpur king Husain Shah Sharqi, who lost his throne to Sikander Shah Lodi and lived as a refugee at Kahalgaon in Bengal. According to the story the king had a favourite son, who went hunting and followed a beautiful doe who escaped into a lake and turned into a maiden. He remained at the lakeside waiting for her to reappear, and requested his father build a temple by the lake. He was advised that the princess would return on the day of a religious festival and that he should steal her magic clothes to prevent her escape, which he did when her six companions saw him, and took their clothes and escaped. He then declared his love for her and they were married. [Robert Skelton, 25.8.1987] A paraphrase of the story is found in K.J. Khandalavala and Moti Chandra, New Documents of Indian Painiting- a reappraisal, Bombay, 1969, p. 104. |
| Dimensions |
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| Content description | A lady bathing, remonstrating with a prince, while her six lady companions, dressed in leaf garments, escape; illustration from romance poetry. |
| Style | |
| Credit line | Purchased from Arthur Churchill, Esq. |
| Object history | Bought from Mr Arthur Churchill, with other paintings (IM.7 to 16-1913) for £141. RP 1913/1031; Purchased from Arthur Churchill, Esq., 1,Selwood Terrace, South Kensington, S.W. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Museum records (Asia Department registers and/or Central Inventory) as part of a 2023 provenance research project. RP 1913-947M |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This painting was done within the Mughal empire, probably between about 1580 and 1600. It depicts a lady bathing, remonstrating with a prince, while her six female companions, dressed in leaf garments, escape. It is an illustration to a poetical romance, and has been identified by Robert Skelton with an episode in the awadhi romance Mrigivati, written by the poet Qutban in AD 1504. Qutban was in the service of the Jaunpur king Husain Shah Sharqi, who lost his throne to Sikander Shah Lodi and lived as a refugee at Kahalgaon in Bengal. According to the story the king had a favourite son who went hunting and followed a beautiful doe. The doe escaped into a lake and turned into a maiden. The prince remained at the lakeside waiting for her to reappear, and requested his father build a temple by the lake. He was advised that the maiden would return on the day of a religious festival and that he should steal her magic clothes to prevent her escape. He did this, but her six companions saw him, took their own clothes, and flew away. He then declared his love for her and they were married. [Robert Skelton, 25.8.1987] A paraphrase of the story is found in K.J. Khandalavala and Moti Chandra, New Documents of Indian Painiting- a reappraisal, Bombay, 1969, p. 104. |
| Associated object | IM.12A-1913 (Verso) |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | IM.12-1913 |
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| Record created | June 25, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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