Lockwood de Forest

Richard York Gallery, New York

Acquired from the above in 2001 by the present owner

Throughout the late 19th century, Americans and Europeans sought inspiration for their artistic output from afar, turning to the South Asian aesthetic tradition for its intricate craftsmanship. After Queen Victoria was declared Empress of India in 1876, India’s art and design in particular swept the West. Lockwood de Forest, a New York City-based designer, played a major role in bringing Indian arts and crafts to America.

As an extensive traveler, de Forest journeyed as far as Greece, Italy, China and the Persian Empire throughout his career, painting extraordinary landscapes of each country he traveled to that were defined by their dominant horizon line and atmospheric lighting. Shikara on Dal Lake, Srinagar, India was executed in June 1881, either during or immediately after his seminal, nearly two-year long trip to India in which he traveled cross-country with his wife on their honeymoon. Depicting a solitary figure below the almost decorative pattern formed by the dominant tree branch of the composition, the present work precedes the ornamental style de Forest would later introduce to his American clients.