opaque colour on paper, possibly an image from a Nayika series, the princely figure seated on a dais beneath a leafy tree issuing flowering stems, the woman with down turned gaze veils herself as she approaches, flowering stems beyond, image 16 x 21cm., framed and glazed

Provenance: Collection of Robert Skelton, O.B.E. (1929-2022)

This is painting most probably depicts a scene from a Nayaka-Nayika series. These series portray the Ashta Nayika, or eight heroines, each in their distinct romantic mood each an expression of an intense emotional state. In this scene, at the sight of the prince's handsomeness, the woman has become rooted to the spot, stambh, and overwhelmed by shyness she covers her face. A traditional form of treating these emotional states, it was the formulation of them in the Rasikapriya of 1591 by the poet Keshavadas that inspired many of the later depictions though his work depicted the lovers as Krishna and Radha.

The rendering of the faces and figures in this painting is reminscent of the work being produced by the generation of artists that came after Nainsukh and his brother, Manaku. A group of paintings from another Nayika series, though adopting a different format, exhibit a reminiscent style and use a similarly restrained palette and setting with flowering stems. Two examples from this group were sold Christies, 28th October 2025, lot 3 and 4, and a painting in the Victoria and Albert Museum from a further series, Prositapatika Nayika, adopts the same restrained approach and facial detail (see acc. no. IS.133-1951, reproduced in Archer 1973, no.33, p.106, vol. II).