Raja Bikram Collecting the Clothes of the Bathing Fairies

Author: Mulla Nusrati

(India, c. 1710)

Not on View

The artist used thin lines of silver to depict the sprays and swirls of a fountain, then coyly placed the fairies underwater. He suggested their nudity by painting faint outlines of their bodies beneath the ripples. Look carefully and you’ll discover they’re not alone, sharing the pool with fish.

The artist used a fine brush, sometimes the width of a single hair, to apply exquisite details to the figures, like the red henna on the hands of the fairies and the dampness of their long hair. Their necklaces, pearl earrings, gold bracelets, and even nose rings are all clearly visible.

The artist used gold to highlight details and to animate the composition—make it come alive with gleaming vitality. He applied it to the painting then chiseled and pricked it to better bounce light and catch the eye.

Numerous kinds of fruit trees, blossoming flowers, and animals, from squirrels to parrots, evoke an environment of vitality and the beauty of variety.

Rhymed couplets on the back of the painting are written in Dakani Urdu, a language that incorporates elements of Persian, Arabic, Sanskrit, and Indian regional languages, attesting to the cosmopolitan nature of the Deccani courts.