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Lot Essay
This painting depicts the popular story of Baz Bahadur and Rupmati. Baz Bahadur was the Muslim sultan of Mandu, in Malwa (north India) in the mid-16th century. He fell in love with a Hindu shepherdess called Rupmati when he heard her singing while he was out hunting — she was known for her beautiful voice and musical skills. Their romance lasted until Baz Bahadur’s army was defeated by the Mughals a few years later. He was so in love with her that he neglected his affairs and his army, prompting his defeat against Emperor Akbar’s Mughal army. Before being captured, Rupmati consumed poison and died to avoid losing her honour if seized by the Mughal general.
During the late 17th and 18th century the legendary couple were frequently depicted by artists at the provincial Mughal courts and at the Rajput courts of the Punjab Hills. They are most often shown riding together, gazing into one another’s eyes, either in the stillness of a moonlit night, or as here, on a hawking expedition. In this painting the lovers’ wild-eyed, mettlesome horses advance in step, while Rupmati turns in the saddle to gaze at the spellbound Baz Bahadur. The horses mane and the facial features of both subjects are executed in extremely fine detail. The jewellery and textiles depicted are also illustrated with great delicacy.
Mughal depictions of this popular scene are in a number of institutions such as the British Museum (inv.no.1920,0917,0.27) and the Ashmolean Museum (inv.no.EA1958.307). A slightly later dated example of this illustrated narrative also attributed to north India was sold in these Rooms, 12 June 2014, lot 513. A similar portrait of Aurangzeb was recently sold in Christie's New York, 19 June 2019, lot 78.
During the late 17th and 18th century the legendary couple were frequently depicted by artists at the provincial Mughal courts and at the Rajput courts of the Punjab Hills. They are most often shown riding together, gazing into one another’s eyes, either in the stillness of a moonlit night, or as here, on a hawking expedition. In this painting the lovers’ wild-eyed, mettlesome horses advance in step, while Rupmati turns in the saddle to gaze at the spellbound Baz Bahadur. The horses mane and the facial features of both subjects are executed in extremely fine detail. The jewellery and textiles depicted are also illustrated with great delicacy.
Mughal depictions of this popular scene are in a number of institutions such as the British Museum (inv.no.1920,0917,0.27) and the Ashmolean Museum (inv.no.EA1958.307). A slightly later dated example of this illustrated narrative also attributed to north India was sold in these Rooms, 12 June 2014, lot 513. A similar portrait of Aurangzeb was recently sold in Christie's New York, 19 June 2019, lot 78.