Miniature. ‘Inhabitants from the Village of Rania’
Like four other paintings in the David Collection, this one also comes from the so-called Fraser albums. It shows a number of persons from the village of Rania whose names are also given. The village had a special significance for William Fraser, since Amiban, the lovely young woman on the left, was his Indian “wife.”
Fraser was described in his day as a man who had a very close relationship with the native population and spoke their various languages – characteristics that were useful, but also were offensive to some of his countrymen.
As on most of the Fraser paintings, the synthesis of European and Indian painting traditions seems appealing, but also curiously alienating. In this miniature, the four central figures are, however, supplemented by a village setting that makes them slightly less statuesque.
Fraser was described in his day as a man who had a very close relationship with the native population and spoke their various languages – characteristics that were useful, but also were offensive to some of his countrymen.
As on most of the Fraser paintings, the synthesis of European and Indian painting traditions seems appealing, but also curiously alienating. In this miniature, the four central figures are, however, supplemented by a village setting that makes them slightly less statuesque.