Private Collection (Property from a Washington DC Private Collection)
Location History:
Christies London, 4th October 2012, lot 176.
Art Passages, San Francisco, 2015.
Sital Das," artist of the painting, "An Illustrated Folio from a Ragamala Series: Dipak Raga", creates this idyllic representation of the romance between a royal couple as they sit together on the lavish bed in either a Murshidabad or Lucknow-style pavilion between 1780 and 1790! The two lovers are nestled underneath a large and heavy draped curtain on a roof terraced structure, while the ornate colonnades support the roof around them. There are many details in the scene, and the work is drawn very true to the architectural detail established in the Lucknow-style of that period.
In traditional Indian Ragamala (meaning "Garland of Ragas") artwork, musical modes are depicted in human form (as a description of their nature), as gods or in romantic scenes, in order to represent the mental state, feeling or time of day that each melody elicits.. Legends surrounding music state that if this raga is performed correctly, it will create the ability to ignite fire spontaneously. In some historical depictions, the hero is depicted with lamps that burn from the crown of his head or around his person. However, Mughal representatives from the late-Mughal period often used passionate and romantic settings to represent the intense "heat" associated with the Dipak. In this representation of the Dipak, the couple shown closely together lying upon a bed on the terrace represents the burning passion of their love for each other. The terrace bed represents both indoor and outdoor living and the couple's proximity to one another is indicative of the intimate closeness of their love and the fact that the Dipak should be sung at night. The addition of colonnaded pavilions, finely detailed columns, and rolled-up textile drapery are indicative of European architectural designs popular with artists in Lucknow and Murshidabad during this time. The extensive use of gold that has been mixed into the opaque gouache paint creates a luminous quality worthy of emulating the Maharajas' luxurious, courtly lifestyle.
The artist used opaque water-soluble pigment called gouache and gold to depict the painted surfaces over the paper, creating a bright and rich appearance to the artwork. Above the central image are four lines of black ink written in Devanagari script on the gold panel border giving literary or explanatory content for the musical and poetic sections from the Dipak Raga. Each outside border of the folio has gold and repeating designs between the ruled lines. At the lower left of the central image is the written signature of the artist, "Sitaldas," completed in bold red nasta'liq script, thereby authenticating the piece.
Sital Das was a well-known Indian artist who lived during the late 1700s (approximately 1770 to 1790). He worked primarily for the provincial Mughal courts in North India (Awadh – including Faizabad & Lucknow, and Murshidabad) at this time when the central Mughal court in Delhi was declining, resulting in new patrons for artists (regional courts and European officials). Sital Das was able to successfully adjust to this new patronage situation. Many of the early-British officials stationed in India and European collectors commissioned him to create works for them. He produced artwork for Sir Elijah Impey (1794-1785 - Chief Justice of Bengal). Sital Das contributed to one of the most famous albums compiled by Impey (the Husn Album) known for being illustrated with images of court life and feminine symbolism. Richard Johnson (British Resident in Lucknow) commissioned Sital Das to make many leafs and folio pages during a specific timeframe (1780-1782).
His style is defined through the blending of traditional late-Mughal refinement, with an emphasis on details relative to late-Mughal courtly life, romanticized atmosphere, and extensive use of gold whilst having been influenced by Western merchant/official taste during this same timeframe. The remaining pieces of his work can be found within several major institutions around the world including the British Library (Richard Johnson Collection) and the Chester Beatty Library (Dublin).
Dipak Raga: An Illustrated Folio from a Ragamala Series is a traditional Indian miniature painting that combines music, poetry, and visual art into a single work. In the Ragamala tradition, each raga (melodic mode) is represented as a person, mood, or scene that expresses a particular emotion and time of day or season. The Dipak Raga is often associated with fire, light, passion, and intense energy. In this artwork, the figures, rich colors, and detailed setting work together to create a sense of warmth and vitality, reflecting the powerful emotional qualities of the raga.
To me, the artwork represents the deep connection between art, nature, and human emotions. The use of elegant clothing, architectural details, and symbolic elements such as lamps or glowing colors suggests that music has the power to influence both people and the natural world. Rather than simply illustrating a musical composition, the painting transforms sound into a visual experience, showing how emotions can be expressed across different artistic forms.
The message I derive from this artwork is that art has the ability to awaken powerful feelings and connect us with something beyond everyday life. The painting encourages viewers to appreciate beauty, harmony, and the emotional depth that music and visual storytelling can create together. It also reflects the cultural belief that music is not only entertainment but a spiritual and emotional force capable of inspiring transformation, passion, and inner reflection.
