A Portrait of Ladies on a Terrace, Mughal, possibly Lucknow, India, early 18th century

Gouache heightened with gold on paper, depicting two female courtiers surrounded by attendants on a terrace within a lakeside landscape, laid down on an album page 

In good overall condition, colours and gold brighta few minor stains to the outer borders of the album page, painting clean, as viewed.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

In 1707 when Muhammad Shah came to the throne there was a revival in the arts that had been so neglected by Aurangzeb. Towards the end of Aurangzeb's reign artists who had once been employed at the imperial court at Delhi fled to the Deccan, Rajasthan and the Pahari hills which resulted in a syntheses of provincial and imperial artistic styles. The hybrid nature of eighteenth century Indian courtly painting is attributed to the political and cultural exchanges that were taking place between Delhi and its provinces. The current illustration is typical of the restrained delicacy of palette and composition that was associated with the Mughal school at Awadh. A number of artists from Muhammad Shah's atelier are known to have migrated to Awadh following the Persian sack of Delhi in 1739. Initially Awadh was politically and artistically dependent on the Mughal court and idiom but as the power at Delhi began to weaken so the court at Awadh flourished and developed its own distinctive style.