Handpainted – Tree of Life on Lilac

Provenance

'Tree of Life on Lilac' is a painting of a single flowering tree rising from rolling ground against a soft lilac sky. The tree as a source of abundance is a recurring motif in Indian painting, and here it is treated with restraint, its pale trunk and fine branches spreading evenly across the picture.

The ivory trunk divides into slender branches that carry clusters of pale blue leaves and small orange-red buds. Small white birds perch among the branches, three green parakeets fly in from the upper corners, and soft white and blue clouds drift across the sky. At the foot of the tree, the roots spread over a dark, rolling line of ground, with low green shrubs and small white flowers on either side.

Lilac, pale blue and orange make a soft, harmonious palette, given definition by a patterned orange inner border and a dark outer border of green and white motifs. The leaves are painted in small, repeated strokes that give the canopy a light, airy texture. It is a calm, contemplative piece for a bedroom, a study or a reading corner.