Art Print – “Palki”: The Palanquin Between Two Black Horses

Provenance

'Palki' is a horizontal art print of a quiet procession: a woman in red travels in an ivory palanquin slung between two black horses, led by a rider in a white tunic and saffron turban. It borrows the profile figures, flat grounds and courtly dress of Rajasthani painting and pares them back to a few calm shapes against a wide, empty sky.

The rider sits upright on the leading horse, reins in hand, a long pole running from his saddle to the palanquin behind him. The palanquin has a domed ivory roof with finials, scalloped arches and rust-red curtains drawn back to show the woman seated inside, her veil falling over her shoulder and her hands resting on her knees. The second horse walks riderless at the rear, a rust and ivory saddle cloth on its back, and a small orange sun hangs in the upper left corner.

Ochre, deep green, black and ivory make a warm, restrained palette, with the rust of the turban, curtains and saddle cloths tying the figures together. The long, slender legs of the horses and the wide bands of sky and ground give the print a graceful horizontal rhythm. It suits a long wall above a sofa, console or bed.