Indian Court Paintings, Recent Acquisitions, New York

15th March, 2013 - 23rd March, 2013

On the occasion of Asia Week 2013, Prahlad Bubbar returns to New York to present his recent acquisitions of Indian paintings. The exhibition, held in the Arader Galleries at 1016 Madison Avenue, features important discoveries from the Mughal, Deccani and Rajput courts.

Painting under the Mughal Emperor Akbar (r.1556-1605) is illustrated in a particularly fine page from an imperial Zafarnama circa 1598. A manuscript detailing the exploits of his ancestor, the central Asian warrior Timur, it displays the exquisite portraiture and rich pigments for which this celebrated period of Mughal painting is known.

Indian and Islamic art is famed for its use of ornamental design, illustrated in an exceptional discovery from the Deccan, central India. A large drawing of a floral arabesque dating to the late seventeenth or early eighteenth century, its blossoming flowers and fantastical stems incorporate influences from South India, Turkey, Iran and China.

The exuberance of Rajput painting from the Hindu courts of Rajasthan, with its rich colours and stylised forms, is found in a lively court scene from the region of Jodhpur. Sweet lyricism and romance infuse an elegant portrait of a court beauty from Kishangarh, one of the most iconic schools of Indian painting, while mythology is explored in the dramatic iconography of a group of paintings from nineteenth century Jaipur.

Prahlad Bubbar is a dealer and consultant of Indian and Islamic art based in London. He is a specialist in Indian painting and has placed works of historical importance and great beauty in leading museums and private collections around the world. He contributed important discoveries to the exhibition ‘Wonder of the Age: Masters Painters of India’ at the Metropolitan Museum, New York and the Museum Rietburg, Zurich in 2011 and curated a significant public exhibition, ‘Dazzling and Spirited: Indian Court Paintings 1400-1900’ at Asia House, London, in 2008. He holds biannual exhibitions at his gallery in Mayfair accompanied by publications that receive widespread critical acclaim.