拍品描述:来源 Christie's South Kensington, 8 October 2010, lot 538. This painting is a later re-working of a circa 1660 drawing by the so-called Master of the Elephants of Kotah at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (acc. no. 2004-149-61). While the original composition depicts Rao Jagat Singh (r. 1658-83), the present painting is inscribed to identify the ruler atop the lofty vantage as Rao Raja Bishen Singh (r. 1804-1821) of Bundi. The painting schools of Bundi and Kotah accomplished great feats in elephant portraiture. The artist who’s composition the present painting is based off of, dubbed the Master of Elephants was likely trained in Bundi and moved to Kotah in 1631 after it had become an independent state. The master worked under two great patrons, Rao Madho Sing (r. 1631-48) and Rao Jagat Singh (r. 1658-83) and greatly influenced a contemporaneous painting tradition, as well as the work of generations of painters in Bundi and Kotah to follow. In the present scene, two elephants clash midair, the dominate animal depicted in full view, obscuring his opponent, while vaulting off of a brick wall. Both elephants are heavily ornamented with large gold and silver bells and orange silk mounts. Several of the Rao’s attendants poke and prod the elephants with large tridents, while others leap away from the collision. The chaotic nature of the scene is further emphasized by the bizarre towers portrayed in conflicting perspectives, and the scrambling of figures into the bold, red borders.