European Lady with Wine Cup

Good overall condition. Some abrasion to folio borders with fraying in the edges, visible in the catalog illustration. Loss to paper on the upper right corner of the folio border, not seen in the catalog illustration. Some wear to the background, consistent with age and slight abrasions to the upper right edge of the image, seen in the catalog illustration. Some white spots that appear on the background on the left side of the image in the catalog illustration are not present in the painting and seem to have been caused by the photographer's flash. The lady's hat and the bolster on which she leans are both orange and not red as they appear in the catalog illustration. This lot is exhibited in a temporary frame.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Embodying the exotic and the mysterious, foreigners were popular subjects of study with first Mughal and then Rajput court artists. In Rajasthan, the Mewar atelier developed a minor genre of portraits of foreigners from the early-18th century, following the arrival of Dutch traders in the region during that time. The present lot beholds an Indianized rendering of a European lady. Her European origin is indicated by her long-skirted dress with cloak, wide-brimmed, plumed hat and luxurious wig in which the artist has meticulously delineated each wavy strand. However, her posture and demeanor are Indian in their aspect. The artist represents this woman through the prism of the idealized Indian convention of beauty which celebrates the fair, wide-eyed, bud-lipped female.

For another illustration depicting a European concoction rendered by a Mewari artist, see D. Mason (ed.), Intimate Worlds, Philadelphia, 2001, cat. 63, pp. 154-155.