The border, painted elaborately using soft colour tones, which frame-like contains the actual painting, the variedly designed fine jali, or trellis work and the arch motifs, used for defining the opening of the oriel window and the alcoves on the right and left of the dome, are elements of classical Mughal architecture. Floral designs on borders were quite common in Mughal paintings right since the days of Jahangir, although the lotus flower and the lotus leaf motifs emerged only in late phase of Mughal art. And, finally, the painting uses the globally known and appreciated Mysore technique, which by assimilating all above elements in its own characteristic style has created this exceptional work of art. It discovers its forms, obviously the architectural members- the trellises, bracket, dome, eaves, the framing columns and pilasters, pendentives and all projections by laying thicker colour layers, which give to the painting the effects of embossing. These special effects are created without involving the canvas but only by mixing into the colours the natural thickening agents.
This splendid work of art is the formal portrait of a princess clad in fine transparent, but quite elegant costume and bejeweled gorgeously using diamonds, emeralds, rubies, pearls and other precious stones. She has been painted as standing in the gavaksha of her chamber, which obviously comprises the part of her wind palace, the usual castle type, which the feudatory of Rajasthan got built for summer. The princess is in a formal posture and, to highlight the beauty of her form, the artist has minutely and distinctively identified each of the members of her figure, her long slanting arms, thin long waving fingers, well formed long neck, subdued belly, sharp pointed nose, elongated fish eyes and slightly angular chin. For giving her figure pleasant contrast the artist has used a deep grey background around it. This background is itself contained within the oriel window used for further framing the entire composition. The effect, which the architecture creates in the painting, is as much pleasing as is the beauty of the princess, or rather her beauty has been sublimated to such heights by the gorgeous contrast, which the framing architecture of her palace apartment, its arched oriel window, dome seeking its height by repeated designing motifs and variedly designed trellises, provides.
This description by Prof. P.C. Jain and Dr Daljeet. Prof. Jain specializes on the aesthetics of ancient Indian literature. Dr Daljeet is the chief curator of the Visual Arts Gallery at the National Museum of India, New Delhi. They have both collaborated on numerous books on Indian art and culture.
Of Related Interest:
Mughal Art Gallery
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