Artist and Creation

The painting was created by Amrita Sher-Gil near Amritsar, India, during her visit to her family's ancestral home, Majitha Palace, in December 1934.

Subject

The subject of the painting is Lalit Kaur Mann, an eight-year-old girl who was Sher-Gil's distant cousin and lived across the road from the artist's family home. Mann was nicknamed "Babette" and recalled the experience of posing for the painting, stating that she found it difficult to sit still and that her mother did not like the final result.

Composition and Style

The painting depicts Lalit Kaur Mann wearing striking blue clothing and staring into space, set against a background of Amritsar's natural parkland. The girl's slicked-back black hair and red lips are prominent features. An older woman in a pink garment is positioned in the background, a detail added at a later date. The work reflects Sher-Gil's transition from the European style she adopted in Paris to a more Indian aesthetic, characterized by the use of blues and greens giving way to reds and browns.

Reception and Exhibition

The painting was part of Sher-Gil's successful solo exhibition at Faletti's Hotel in Lahore, British India, in November 1937. It was priced at ₹150 and acquired by Charles Fabri, a Hungarian art critic. Despite its artistic acclaim, Lalit Kaur Mann's mother was not pleased with the painting, feeling it did not capture her daughter's likeness accurately.

Ownership and Conservation

The painting remained in the Fabri family until it was auctioned by Sotheby's in Mumbai in November 2018, fetching ₹18.69 crore (US$2.67 million). Under India's Antiquities and Art Treasures Act of 1972, the work is considered a national art treasure and cannot be exported outside India. At the time of the auction, the painting was in good condition, though it showed signs of frame rubbing and slight unevenness of pigment with evidence of retouching, particularly in the girl's hair and clothing.

Cultural Significance

The little girl in blue is seen as a blend of diverse visual cultures of Europe and India, reflecting Sher-Gil's unique bi-cultural and bi-racial background. It marks a significant point in her artistic development, as she began to incorporate more Indian themes and colors into her work after returning to India from Paris.