This folio comes from a Polier Album. Antoine Louis Henri Polier, born in Lausanne in 1741, entered the service of the British East India Company as a surveyor in 1757. By 1762, he had become Chief Engineer of the Bengal Army in Calcutta and began working on the design and construction of the new Fort William. He then rose to the rank of major and took command of the Fort Garrison. Though Polier was first sent to Awadh as a surveyor, it was recommended to the Nawab Shuja’ al-Daula that he be made the chief architect for the kingdom of Awadh—and serve as the eyes and ears of the British East India Company at the Nawab's court. Polier became wealthy from his commissions for court buildings as well as from private trading, and he built a palace in Lucknow that he called Polierganj or "Polier's Dream-Potion." Polier was dismissed from the service of the Nawab of Awadh in 1782, and was asked by Warren Hastings to remain in Lucknow as an appointee of the Company with the honorary rank of Lieutenant-Colonel, as Polier's knowledge of Awadh was considered essential to the Company’s interests. After 30 years in India, Polier left in 1787 and settled in France, where he was murdered in a robbery in 1795.
During his time in India, Polier collected Persian and Sanskrit manuscripts and Indian miniatures, and he possessed a complete collection of the Vedas. His collection began with a gift of three albums given to him in 1767, which inspired him to assemble further albums including scenes of Indian life that were being created to satisfy Western taste. He collected the antique works he could find, and also commissioned new works, principally through his favoured retained artist Mihr Chand, who was largely responsible for arranging the layout and decoration of the albums made for his collection of paintings.
As the Mughal empire decayed, governors of various province declared independence from the central authority. In the cultural tradition of the time, they vied with one another in the sumptuousness of their living and their patronage of the arts. Painting flourished in ateliers, taking on strong local colour while retaining the dominant Mughal element. As British tradesmen settled in provincial regions, artists were exposed to direct European influence, which was reflected in the production of paintings. (Brijbhushan, Jamila. The World of Indian Miniatures. Tokyo: Kodansha International Ltd., 1979, pp. 117-18.)
The folio in this lot is predominantly Mughal in style yet has adopted a more vibrant, saturated palette in execution. It might not be commissioned by Polier due to the absence of French markings. The man in the portrait is depicted in profile, dressed in a white jama, and holds a lavender-pinkish staff in his right hand. His fingertips are dyed with mehndi, symbolising joy, blessing and prosperity. He stands in a walled garden, colourful and vibrant, surrounded by lush mango trees on the other side. The floral border creates a harmonious echo with the portrait – poppies against an earthy-gold ground, alternated with light brown floral prints on a beige ground, mixing an European touch into the Indian canvas.
On the reverse is a naturalistic bouquet of flowers in a vase, likely orchids and irises. Similar flora on vines reside in the border. Bright orange, yellow and green hues dominate the theme, rendering the decorative subject a visual lift. A line of Persian inscription in nasta’liq situates above the central floral motif. The folio is numbered “55” in the upper right corner, likely referring to its page number in the original album.
Another folio from a Polier Album, titled Magic Camel, was sold at Christie’s New York on 16 September 2008, lot 475, for $134,500. A more recent auction at Christie’s London on 12 June 2018 also features a detached folio from a Polier Album, lot 24, and sold for £32,500.
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