Princess with Attendants

Object Details

• Artist

  Hasan Riza

• Court

  Bikaner Court

• School/Tradition

  Rajput school

• Description

  Detached album folio; text: Persian in black nasta'liq script; recto: Princess with attendants; verso: sarlawh, text: Invocation to God and Padishahs, one column, six lines, two seals.

  Border: The painting has occupied the full width of the page; the text is set in an illuminated border mounted on cream-colored paper with gold and colorful flowers.

• Marks

  Old matting: pencil, circled 51

  Old matting: black ink, 57

  Old matting: black ink: 51

  Old matting: pencil, Vever 352

  Old matting: octagonal sticker with blue border, M ͬ Paul Albert Besnard written in black ink

  Old matting: octagonal sticker with blue border, M ͬ Paul Albert Besnard written in black ink

• Inscriptions

  Bottom page, seal.

• Provenance

  ?-1934

  Albert Besnard (1849-1934), method of acquisition unknown [1]

  1934

  Sale, Paris, Galerie Charpentier, “Collection Albert Besnard: Sculptures et bibelots antiques, sculptures du Moyen Ȃge et des temps modernes, tableaux anciens, maquettes, arts du Proche et du Moyen-Orient, bronzes, laques, peintures, gravures," May 31 and June 1, 1934, 194[2]

  Likely 1934 -1942

  Henri Vever (1854-1942), likely purchased at the Albert Besnard sale [3]

  1942-1947

  Jeanne Louise Monthiers (1861-1947), bequest of Henri Vever [4]

  1947-1986

  Francois Mautin (1907-2003), bequest of Jeanne Louise Monthiers and Henri Vever [5]

  From 1986

  Arthur M. Sackler Gallery purchased from Francois Mautin [6]

  Notes:

  [1] Paul-Albert Besnard, known professionally as Albert Besnard was a French painter and print maker active in Paris during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Throughout his career, Besnard developed a collection of old master and modern paintings, sculpture, and works on paper. His collection included numerous Islamic manuscripts and Indian paintings. Besnard was part of a group of connoisseurs, which included Henri Vever (see note 3), that appreciated and studied Persian and Indian Paintings.

  [2] Galerie Charpentier, “Collection Albert Besnard: Sculptures et bibelots antiques, sculptures du Moyen Ȃge et des temps modernes, tableaux anciens, maquettes, arts du Proche et du Moyen-Orient, bronzes, laques, peintures, gravures," [auction catalogue](Paris, May 31 and June 1, 1934), lot 194. The work is described as “Princesse assise dans un Jardin, entourée de musiciennes. Art hindou du XIX

  s.”

  [3] An accomplished French jeweler and collector, Henri Vever (1854-1942) amassed a large and impressive collection of works of art during his lifetime. His holdings in Japanese prints and Islamic arts of the books, especially from Iran and India, were among the most important assembled in the early twentieth century. The annotation on the work’s matting reports that Vever acquired this work in 1934, likely at the Galerie Charpentier sale. This object was in Vever's collection at the time of his death in 1942 (see note 2).

  [4] Upon Henri Vever's death on September 25, 1942, his wife, Jeanne Louise Monthiers inherited the object. See exhibits F and G of Agreement of Purchase and Sale of the Henri Vever Collection, January 9, 1986, copy in object file.

  [5] Upon the death of Jeanne Louise Monthiers, as stipulated in the will of Henri Vever, the family's assets were divided evenly between his two grandchildren. His only grandson, Francois Mautin inherited the collection known as "The Henri Vever Collection of Oriental Art and Manuscripts Including Persian and Indian Art and Manuscripts." This object is part of that collection. See exhibits F and G as cited in note 3.

  [6] The Arthur M. Sackler Gallery purchased the entirety of the collection from Francois Mautin on January 9, 1986. See purchase agreement, copy in object file.

  Research updated on May 11, 2023.

• Collection

  Arthur M. Sackler Collection

• Previous custodian or owner

  Albert Besnard

  Henri Vever (1854-1942)

  Francois Mautin (1907-2003)

• Origin

  Bikaner, Rajasthan state, India

• Credit Line

  Purchase — Smithsonian Unrestricted Trust Funds, Smithsonian Collections Acquisition Program, and Dr. Arthur M. Sackler

• Type

  Painting

• Restrictions and Rights

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1710s, 1690s

• Name

  Mautin, Francois Albert, Besnard, Albert, Vever, Henri

• Place

  Bikaner, Rajasthan state, India

• Topic

  Art, Fly whisk, Drums (Membranophones), Princess, Gardens, Vina, South Asian and Himalayan Art, Henri Vever collection, Music, Illumination, Woman, Attendant, Lute

• Culture

  Himalayan peoples, South Asians

• Object Type

  Paintings