AN INDIAN MAIDEN WITH FLOWERING VASE
PROPERTY FROM A CANADIAN COLLECTION
Possibly Bikaner, Rajasthan or Punjab Hills, Northern India, second half 19th century

Opaque pigments heightened with gold and white wash on wove paper, the standing portrait depicting a courtly lady wearing a diaphanous anarkali robe and embroidered jama trousers, with a golden sash on the front and a light yellow shawl with gold borders on the head, the jewellery and attire indicative of her high social status, holding a tall stick with white flowers, and a miniature gold vase with flowering bouquet, set within black and mango yellow rules, and cream and taupe borders, pasted onto thicker card, the reverse with an inscription in pencil reading Maharani Jodha Bai (also known as Mariam-uz-Zamani, a Rajput princess married to the Mughal emperor Akbar and mother of Emperor Jahangir), the old frame (now missing) marked with the retailer sticker of Newman Galleries from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in use between 1935 - 1960.

21.8cm x 15.4cm

Newman Galleries was an art gallery established by George and Adolph Newman at 806 Market Street in Philadelphia, in 1865. They specialised in works on paper. The gallery was forced to move in 1893, and the brothers dissolved the partnership; George opened a gallery at 1622 Chestnut Street and Adolph opened the Adolph Newman and Son Gallery at 704 Chestnut Street with his son Walter.

Adolph and Walter B. Newman were forced to move again in 1918 to 1732 Chestnut Street. In 1920, Adolph retired and left the gallery to his son and to his grandson Walter Andrew Newman. The depression necessitated the move in 1935 to yet another location, this time at 1625 Walnut Street, and in the 1960s a frame and repair shop was added to the business at 2306 South Street. The old retailer sticker of the frame that once contained the present painting must have been in use between the last move and the time when the frame and repair shop were added to the family business.