A Melee During Holi, Mughal or Bikaner, early - mid 18th century

Lanier Collection, acquired prior to 1987.

New York private collection.

Joyful pandemonium erupts in the zenana during the spring festival of Holi. A lively crowd of ladies from the harem fills a gleaming white marble terrace before an elegant garden pavilion, happily throwing red powder and spraying scented water from syringes upon one another in festive celebration. In the foreground, two ladies crouch eagerly around a dark reflecting pool, refilling their pichkaris - only to be gleefully interrupted by companions in mid fill. To the right, musicians keep a vigorous rhythm on their instruments, their energetic beat driving the revelry. A fan-bearer with a large talpatra leaf fan stands to the left, adding a note of courtly formality to the exuberant scene.

Below the terrace, a formal garden with flowering borders and beyond, dark cypress trees recede into the background. A white-domed pavilion with a vermilion tiled roof rises against a luminous steel-blue sky. The artist portrays the spontaneous energy of the festival and the complex luxurious setting of royal courtly life with compositional clarity. The rich palette of saffron, rose, with lavish gold embellishment is set against the cool white of the marble - reflecting the vibrant interaction of Mughal, Deccani and Rajput painting styles in the eighteenth century. The composition is enclosed within buff inner and dark blue outer borders, separated by fine gold, red, and white ruled lines.