The Entrance of the Palace of Amber, Rajahstan

"This extravagant architectural study was executed in situ in 1887, in the courtyard of the great Palace of Amber in Rajahstan during Weeks' second expedition to India. During Weeks' 1887 trip, he executed a number of architectural studies en plein air, many of which formed the basis for Weeks' major Indian paintings. In the case of the present study, the larger work, The Arrival of Prince Humbert (39 x 52 inches, sold at Sotheby's New York, May 7, 1998), exactly mirrors the study, down to every detail. The white marble pavilion and the main palace facade reflects Weeks' characteristic pictorial construction and attention to detail, as well as his deft handling of light, shadow and reflection. Two aspects of the present work shed interesting light on Week's working method. In the center of the study, we can see Weeks 'ghosting in' of figures which would later appear assisting Prince Humbert dismount from his elephant in the later work. Further, presumably to test their effect against the strong ochre of the central facade and the outlines of its roof features, the sky has been rendered in two distinct shades of blue; Weeks eventually chose the darker blue, on the left, for the final painting." We are grateful to Dr. Ellen K. Morris for preparing this catalogue entry. This piece will be included in her catalog raisonée which is currently being prepared.