A Balsam Plant
Artist/maker unknown, Indian
Geography:
Made in Deccan Region, India, Asia
Date:
c. 1660-1680Medium:
Opaque watercolor and gold on paperDimensions:
Image: 8 5/8 × 4 13/16 inches (21.9 × 12.2 cm) Sheet: 11 7/8 × 7 3/16 inches (30.2 × 18.3 cm)Curatorial Department:
South Asian ArtObject Location:
2004-149-39Credit Line:
125th Anniversary Acquisition. Alvin O. Bellak Collection, 2004
Made in Deccan Region, India, Asia
Date:
c. 1660-1680Medium:
Opaque watercolor and gold on paperDimensions:
Image: 8 5/8 × 4 13/16 inches (21.9 × 12.2 cm) Sheet: 11 7/8 × 7 3/16 inches (30.2 × 18.3 cm)Curatorial Department:
South Asian ArtObject Location:
Currently not on view
Accession Number:2004-149-39Credit Line:
125th Anniversary Acquisition. Alvin O. Bellak Collection, 2004
Label:
Paintings from the Deccan region are celebrated for their sometimes weird, but always wonderful, representations of oversized, flowering plants. By placing this balsam plant against a solid background, enlarging its scale, and isolating it in the center of the painting, the artist has created a floral portrait. Interest in floral portraiture likely derived from engraved images imported from Europe. But the Deccani artist does not render the plant precisely as it appears in nature. Instead he stiffens the stem, makes the blooms symmetrical, and aligns the clouds and tiny flowers to create an exquisite composition of perfect regularity.
Paintings from the Deccan region are celebrated for their sometimes weird, but always wonderful, representations of oversized, flowering plants. By placing this balsam plant against a solid background, enlarging its scale, and isolating it in the center of the painting, the artist has created a floral portrait. Interest in floral portraiture likely derived from engraved images imported from Europe. But the Deccani artist does not render the plant precisely as it appears in nature. Instead he stiffens the stem, makes the blooms symmetrical, and aligns the clouds and tiny flowers to create an exquisite composition of perfect regularity.