Watercolour on paper. 280 x 310mm. (11 x 12.2ins).

A palanquin and attendant wait outside. In the foreground, on the steps leading to the palace are three figures, probably servants, one carrying water.

The term Company School derives from the period when Indian artists worked under the patronage of Europeans employed by the various East India Companies. These patrons had time and leisure to appreciate Indian culture, and a romantic fascination for it led them to commission sets of watercolours depicting tradesmen, local crafts, conveyances, bazaars, architecture and natural history. They were fortunate to find artists who had trained in the ateliers of Mughal and Rajput rulers. Company School painting flourished for a short period, reaching its height between 1800 and 1840.