A Lady on a Moonlit Terrace Pines for Her Absent Lover
| Support Type: | Paper |
| Paint Type: | Watercolor |
| Current Location: | Cincinnati Art Museum (Ohio, USA) |
The following painting, titled, ‘A Lady on a Moonlit Terrace Pines for Her Absent Lover” is housed by the Cincinnati Museum as a part of their South Asian Art exhibit. While it is not on display anymore, it can be viewed through their digital archives. Attributed to the artist Fattu, it is a part of his oeuvre of Pahari-style artworks. Straightaway, the painting appears deeply poetic in nature. It depicts a young woman, holding her hands up in prayer to the moon. While we do not know who this lady is, the details on her fabric and her ornamentation suggest that she descends from nobility. Beside her, two handmaidens are depicted in simpler clothing, while a third male figure seems to raise a toast to the skies. The finesse of the human expression, in both artistic execution and emulating longing is notable. Dated to 1775, the artist uses stacked perspective to create depth, where the landscape in the background is drawn smaller in scale to the central figures. This was commonly used before the one-point perspective. The painting also shows Fattu’s mastery of human figures and his attention to ornamentation. From the walls of the terrace to the clothes worn by the human figures, Fattu paints floral motifs traditional to Pahari art. The artist also adds humour through composition, as one of the handmaidens is shown dozing off, contrasting the sincerity of the central figure. As we continue to look at the figures sitting on a marble-carved terrace, bathed in moonlight, it is remarkable how Fattu’s artwork exudes romance.
Sources: