A Dubious Place is a monograph on an outstanding Pahari painting with highly unusual subject matter: the image portrays a cast of unexpected characters whose very adult behaviour is being witnessed by three youths.
In Part 1 of the monograph, details of this pigment painting on paper are carefully examined and technically analysed, and the artist is recognized as one of the Masters of the First Generation after Manaku and Nainsukh of Guler. In Part 2, the painter is firmly identified as Nikka, third son of Nainsukh, and a portion of his known oeuvre is reviewed and compared to A Dubious Place.
A court artist for the ruling Raja Raj Singh of Chamba. Nikka (c. 1745-1833) proved himself to be a superb portraitist as well as a keen observer of his surroundings. He masterfully rendered human features, with precise linework and refined colours. Even more important, by imbuing his subjects with warmth and empathy, he evokes the social milieu of his time.
Nikka, until now known only to a few specialists, emerges in this study as one of the most accomplished painters in India's rich tradition of miniature painting.
Eberhard Fischer is a Swiss art anthropologist who served as director of the Museum Rietberg Zurich for 27 years. Under his leadership, the museum significantly expanded its collection of Indian paintings, gaining international acclaim through exhibitions and publications. Through his close collaboration and enduring friendships with leading scholars of Indian art and culture, Fischer has become an authority in the field of Pahari painting.
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