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Procession scene headed by a figure on horseback, perhaps Nawab Babar ‘Ali (1793-1810) of Murshidabad, proceeding to prayers at the Chauk Masjid.

By a Murshidabad artist, c.1800.

Water-colour; 15.25 by 27.5 ins.

Purchased 14 November 1954.

Note: In style this painting closely resembles a set in the Victoria and Albert Museum (11 (1-49) 1887 I.S.) which has strong Murshidabad affinities. It includes a painting of Nawab Mubarak al-Daula of Murshidabad (1770-93) entertaining Sir John Hadley D’Oyly (British Resident 1780-85), inscribed: ‘The Court of the Newaub Moobaruck ul Dowlah. Father of the present Newaub Nauser ul Moolk’ (i.e. Babar ‘Ali, died 1810) ‘Receiving the then British Resident Sir John D’Oyley Bart.’ (reproduced M. Archer, ‘Baltazard Solvyns and the Indian Picturesque’, ‘The Connoisseur,’ January, 1969, 16, fig.7). Another is inscribed: ‘A View of Munny Begum’s Musjid and the Chandi Chowk in Murshidabad at the Festival of Buckra Ede on which occasion the Nawaab usually goes to prayers at the Musjid.’ Yet a third picture is of a dwarf from ‘Manicknagur, in the island of Cosimbazar.’ The set also has close links with Lucknow and includes pictures of the Jami‘ Masjid and Great Imambara. The presence in the set of three paintings with detailed references to Murshidabad and nearby Kasimbazar raises a strong presumption that the set was made and obtained there. In view of the close social and political links between Lucknow and Murshidabad, the presence of pictures of Lucknow also suggests a Murshidabad provenance.