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Maharao Umed Singh I of Kotah on horseback, attributable to a master of the Kotah School, possibly Sheikh Taju or a follower, Kotah, circa 1780-90
Estimate
12,000 - 18,000 GBP
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Description
- Gouache and ink on paper
gouache heightened with gold on paper, inscribed on the verso in devanagari script "Shri Hajur Ji Maharaj ji Shri Umed Singh ji"
Provenance
Dr. William George Archer, O.B.E. (1907-79) and Dr. Mildred Archer, O.B.E. (1911-2005)
Sir Howard Hodgkin, C.H., C.B.E. (b.1932)
Acquired before 1969
Sir Howard Hodgkin, C.H., C.B.E. (b.1932)
Acquired before 1969
Condition
In good overall condition, minor wear to outer leaf edges, 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 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."
Catalogue Note
Maharao Umed Singh I (r.1771-1819) succeeded his father as Maharao of Kotah at the age of ten, though the state rule remained in the hands of the powerful prime minister, Rajrana Zalim Singh Jhala, whom he had inherited from the previous Maharao Guman Singh (r.1764-71). Umed Singh "was by temperament a non-assertive and submissive sort of man. From boyhood till his death he stood in awe of Zalim Singh and, therefore, there never occurred a chance of any conflict with him." (Shastri 1971, p.73). The success with which Zalim Singh administered the affairs of the state of Kotah enabled the politically ineffective Maharao to cultivate his interests in the hunt and as a patron of the arts, to which numerous great paintings and drawings of hunting scenes bear witness (Welch et al. 1997, pp.164-181, nos.45-52).
The evolution of style and the identity of master artists of the Kotah school has been thoroughly re-assessed in recent years (Beach in Beach, Fischer and Goswamy 2011, vol.I, pp.291-304, vol.II, pp.459-478). This has profoundly re-aligned our understanding of painting at Kotah in the late-seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. From the middle and later decades of the eighteenth century the artist who signs himself Sheikh Taju has left several extant works, and his career may have lasted until the very beginning of the reign of Umed Singh. This polished and rather majestic equestrian portrait is close to his style and may be by his hand or that of a close follower. For further discussion of Shaykh Taju and his works see Welch et al. 1997, pp.30-34, and nos.14-18, 23-24, 27-32, 34, 36-41, 43-45. For a brief historical overview of the reign of Umed Singh I, see Bautze in Welch et al. 1997, pp.51-53.
The evolution of style and the identity of master artists of the Kotah school has been thoroughly re-assessed in recent years (Beach in Beach, Fischer and Goswamy 2011, vol.I, pp.291-304, vol.II, pp.459-478). This has profoundly re-aligned our understanding of painting at Kotah in the late-seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. From the middle and later decades of the eighteenth century the artist who signs himself Sheikh Taju has left several extant works, and his career may have lasted until the very beginning of the reign of Umed Singh. This polished and rather majestic equestrian portrait is close to his style and may be by his hand or that of a close follower. For further discussion of Shaykh Taju and his works see Welch et al. 1997, pp.30-34, and nos.14-18, 23-24, 27-32, 34, 36-41, 43-45. For a brief historical overview of the reign of Umed Singh I, see Bautze in Welch et al. 1997, pp.51-53.