A HARBOUR SCENE WITH A BURNING MERCHANT FLEET
Possibly Jaipur, Rajasthan, North-Western India, mid to late 19th century

Opaque pigments and gold on laid paper, the horizontal composition depicting a bay view on the right with a burning merchant fleet, the bright red and gold flames on the ship an attempt to realistic portraiture, several smaller boats approaching the burning fleet to move and rescue the merchandise, on the left an Indian view of a European-like city, possibly Venice with the Grand Canal and gondoliers, the scene animated by several characters dressed in European fashion on horse, chariot and boats, within dark blue borders, the back plain, mounted on a white cardboard frame, 23.4cm x 38cm excluding the mount.

Provenance: from the collection of the late Hans Peter Kraus (12 October, 1907 – 1 November, 1988).

Engravings and prints of European cities proved to be a popular source of inspiration for Indian artists since the Mughal times. It is likely that this rather whimsical city and bay view was inspired by one of them. That said, it is also worthy noting that the figures and the boats, animating the scene, show a clear influence from 19th-century Chinese bay views and Coromandel screens. This painting is similar in spirit to two imaginary architectural scenes from late 18th-century Jaipur, illustrated in L. Leach, Mughal and Other Indian Paintings, London, 1995 nos. 7.87 and 7.88, pp. 754-755.