The entrance to the haveli has teak doors set on an ornate limestone framework embellished with Belgian mirrors

ne would be hard-pressed to find someone as house-proud as artist and restorer Nadine Le Prince. Her opulent haveli in Fatehpur in the Shekhawati region of Rajasthan has stories galore to tell about its past. Restored from the ghostly remains of the residence of the Devras, affluent silk traders of the region, this 200-year-old mansion had been all but razed to the ground by the forces of nature when Le Prince bought it nearly a decade ago.

The French artist worked her fingers to the bone along with her team of local fresco artists to resurrect the Anand Lalo Haveli or Red and Blue Haveli, as it was originally known, to its present state of glorious extravagance. “Neglected abodes look the same everywhere,” says the brush maestro, who shares her fascination for Rajasthan with scores of foreign tourists who mark the state as a “must-visit” on their travel itinerary.

But the similarity ends there. Unlike the camera-toting vacationer, Le Prince decided to stay on and make a difference. She painstakingly restored the intricate fresco-flecked walls of the Anand Lalo Haveli, one of the finest specimens of Indo-Mughal architecture that is delicate both in its details and execution.

Coming from a long line of French painters like the 18th century Baptiste Le Prince, who was known for his graphic art of Russia, Nadine Le Prince ensured that the fresco art, as it initially existed in the haveli, was not tampered with. This was her first restoration project and she studied the subject extensively before undertaking it.

The red suite on the ground floor is completely accessorised in shades of red; (Above) The men’s courtyard has been converted into an indoor garden with ornamental plants and an ancient marble fountain

She chose local fresco artists to rectify the damage done to the artwork but was adamant that they should preserve it. “There were no fresh paintings commissioned since all the surfaces already had elaborate artwork. In fact, I sourced only natural dyes for the restoration instead of chemical paints to maintain authenticity,” she says.

The haveli entrance is a sight of jaw-dropping wonder. The regal teak doors are hung on an ornate limestone framework that’s embellished with Belgian mirrors.

One steps into the men’s courtyard straight after the entrance. It was originally used for business transactions and religious rituals and the walls of the area are splashed with fresco paintings depicting tales from Hindu mythology.

A more homey version of this area is the women’s courtyard that falls next in the line of vision. “This is a reception area for the women folk and various family interactions,” notes Le. The courtyard is painted from floor to ceiling with astoundingly vibrant battle scenes between Rajput and Mughal warriors and hunting scenes that were integral to the social milieu of the period.

The women’s courtyard on the first floor has now been converted into open-air lounge areas with chic seating arrangements made with stones indigenous to the area. “The men’s courtyard also serves as an indoor garden with ornamental plants and boasts an ancient marble fountain that was originally present in the haveli.

Innovation and imagination is clearly the artist’s forte. She has converted rooms adjoining the courtyards into sitting areas and has added a dash of Rajasthani flavour by placing palanquins with intricate designs, lanterns with delicately etched glasses and low wooden stools.

“There are 30 rooms in the entire haveli consisting of the ground floor, first floor and the roof and each one has a distinct character,” says Le Prince with pride. The nine bedrooms on the first floor are now used by the painter, her two French students who are on an internship programme and guests including her photographer son.

Le Prince gets numerous visitors, many who come because they are anxious to see the artistic residence project whose fame has spread. The artist divides her time between Fatehpur and France depending on the schedule of her exhibitions.

Out of the battery of rooms inside the mansion, a few stand out by virtue of their unique traits. All the rooms have the usual trappings of modern living like air conditioners yet retain their old world charm. An interesting living space on the ground floor is the red suite that’s completely accessorised in shades of red.

Nadine Le Prince painstakingly restored the Anand Lalo Haveli and its ornate fresco art ; Pix by Kundan Chakraborty

The musicians’ room is another one-off space that flaunts fresco art combined with European figures. As the British rule spread through out India, the same designs were depicted in artworks.

Across the main haveli, albeit connected by the roof, is the two-storeyed art gallery where Le Prince works during her stay in this country. This state-of-the-art facility is a harmonious melding of the old and the new, traditional and the refreshingly urban.

Also, housed within the same complex is the Nadine Le Prince Cultural Centre, which promotes artistic exchanges between India and other countries through residential programmes in the haveli. “More than anything else, this haveli represents an artistic abode,” sums up Le Prince.