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For the love of art: British Museum acquires unique Indian painting 'Trumpeters' at $576K

January 8, 2020 | In the Press

From The Economist (https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/for-the-love-of-art-british-museum-acquires-unique-indian-painting-trumpeters-at-576k/articleshow/73157506.cms)

It shows seven musicians playing Pahari horns with long pipes known as turhi, their cheeks puffed out with the effort.

The prestigious British Museum in London has acquired a unique watercolour depicting a traditional musical performance in mid-18th century northern India after successfully raising the 440,000 pounds ( approximately $576K) required to buy the rare painting.

'Trumpeters' by Nainsukh of Guler (1710-1778), described by experts as a delicate miniature of a “rarely found calibre”, had been blocked for export by the UK's ministry of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport in 2018 in the hope of pre ..

It shows seven musicians playing Pahari horns with long pipes known as turhi, their cheeks puffed out with the effort. It is an unusual example of the artist's work, combining aspects of Nainsukh's early work with some of his later achievements.

It has been in a private collection since being purchased by the prominent British artist Winifred Nicholson (1893-1981) during a tour of India, Burma (Myanmar) and Ceylon (Sri Lanka) in 1919-20.

Together these paintings can be seen and studied alongside the British Museum's extensive South Asia collections, allowing for further understanding of the full scope of the Pahari painting tradition.

Sir Peter Luff, Chair of the NHMF, noted: “This miniature watercolour is a stunning example of Pahari art".

"The Trustees of the National Heritage Memorial Fund agreed it was imperative to save ‘The Trumpeters' for the nation and keep it on public display so that art enthusiasts a ..

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