KOTAH, LATE 18TH CENTURYOpaque watercolor and ink on paper. 11 3/4 x 19 5/8 in. (29.9 x 49.7 cm), irregular,
Although shackled to the tree, the elephant appears very excited, with his front left leg raised and his red-rimmed eye keenly staring ahead. His mahout sits behind his neck, commanding the pachyderm with his long goad. The artist has adopted a minimal approach, as seen in the simple linear modeling and restrained coloring, yet his mastery is revealed by the spontaneous and confident strokes animating his subject. Provenance:German Private CollectionChristie's, New York, 21 March 2012, lot 755