Embracing lovers were a popular subject in 18th-century court circles, especially in the pleasure-loving atmosphere that prevailed among the rulers and nobles of Oudh state in Uttar Pradesh, just before its takeover by the British. This delicate picture shows lovers dancing on a terrace. With exquisitely detailed attire, their forms are brilliantly illuminated by the glow from the sparklers, which have also caused the billowing smoke above. Noteworthy is the technique of rendering the tiny silver sparks of the two sparklers. The picture may have been painted by Faizullah, one of the artists working at the Oudh court.
Pigments on paper
