Important Notice

Company School (Tanjore Idiom)
Mid 19th Century
Watercolour on paper
7.5 x 11.5 in (19 x 29 cm)

NON-EXPORTABLE REGISTERED ANTIQUITY

PROVENANCE
Doris Wiener Gallery, New York, 1980s or earlier
Christie's, New York, 20 March 2012, lot 339
Simon Ray, London, December 2013


This painting in the Tanjore style depicts a temple procession of Vishnu on a vyala or Swami Subramaniyam Swami. The four-armed deity wielding various iconographic attributes is astride a stylised grey (or silver) vyala and adorned with a garland and a large golden crown. The idol and its vehicle are installed atop a wooden stand that functions as a palanquin carried by eight dhoti-clad attendants. A priest/attendant walks alongside the idol fanning it with a flywhisk. The long procession is led by two caparisoned elephants guided by mahouts and priests holding red and green flags on the animal’s back, the red flag is illustrated with Hanuman’s figure. Behind the elephants are two figures holding a cloth banner gateway accompanied by musicians performing the drums, trumpets and cymbals. A devadasi or a courtesan in an orange saree performs in front of the idol as two men hold mashaals (lit torches) while others hold parasols and ceremonial paraphernalia aloft. A couple of other figures are seen walking along the procession or viewing the deity from a distance. Most of the people in the procession wear dhotis and have shikha (a tuft of hair) on their heads besides white tilak (ceremonial mark) on their forehead, chest and arms.
A technique of using dark shading on the figures brings out the body contours of the figures, while their shadow on the ground adds a touch of realism to the image. A perspective is attempted by brush strokes of darker tones in the foreground and background, while shaded grey and white clouds crafted with brush strokes are seen against the shaded light blue sky.

Company School (Tanjore Idiom)
Mid 19th Century
Watercolour on paper
7.5 x 11.5 in (19 x 29 cm)

NON-EXPORTABLE REGISTERED ANTIQUITY

PROVENANCE
Doris Wiener Gallery, New York, 1980s or earlier
Christie's, New York, 20 March 2012, lot 339
Simon Ray, London, December 2013


This painting in the Tanjore style depicts a temple procession of Vishnu on a vyala or Swami Subramaniyam Swami. The four-armed deity wielding various iconographic attributes is astride a stylised grey (or silver) vyala and adorned with a garland and a large golden crown. The idol and its vehicle are installed atop a wooden stand that functions as a palanquin carried by eight dhoti-clad attendants. A priest/attendant walks alongside the idol fanning it with a flywhisk. The long procession is led by two caparisoned elephants guided by mahouts and priests holding red and green flags on the animal’s back, the red flag is illustrated with Hanuman’s figure. Behind the elephants are two figures holding a cloth banner gateway accompanied by musicians performing the drums, trumpets and cymbals. A devadasi or a courtesan in an orange saree performs in front of the idol as two men hold mashaals (lit torches) while others hold parasols and ceremonial paraphernalia aloft. A couple of other figures are seen walking along the procession or viewing the deity from a distance. Most of the people in the procession wear dhotis and have shikha (a tuft of hair) on their heads besides white tilak (ceremonial mark) on their forehead, chest and arms.
A technique of using dark shading on the figures brings out the body contours of the figures, while their shadow on the ground adds a touch of realism to the image. A perspective is attempted by brush strokes of darker tones in the foreground and background, while shaded grey and white clouds crafted with brush strokes are seen against the shaded light blue sky.