Shaykh Zayn al-Din, A Malabar Giant Squirrel (Ratufa Indica) in an Almond Tree, from the Impey Album, 1778
Pen and ink, watercolor with gum Arabic. Charles H. Bayley Picture and Painting Fund.
An oversize squirrel native to India climbs up to enjoy the fruits of a large tropical tree in this work, among the most dazzlingly successful of all paintings made for the British in India. Its sponsor was Sir Elijah Impey, chief justice of the Supreme Court established by the East India Company, and his wife, Mary, Lady Impey. The acquisition of this and one other painting made for the Impeys by Mughal-trained artists represents the achievement of one of MFA Boston’s foremost goals for South Asian art: collecting works of the highest quality from the period of British colonialism.
Pen and ink, watercolor with gum Arabic.
Charles H. Bayley Picture and Painting Fund.