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Lot Essay
This illustration is from a series knows as the (second) Guler Ramayana attributed to the first generation of artists after Manaku and Nainsukh. The first section of the series, dating to circa 1780, is known as the “Kangra Ramayana series, circa 1775-1780” by W.G. Archer and also as the “Bharany Ramayana”. It comprises illustrations from the first three books of the Ramayana. The second section of the series comprises illustrations from Books Five and Six. Our illustration comes from the second section and belongs to Book Six, the Yuddhakanda or the Book of War. Goswamy and Fischer date this second section to circa 1790 and have listed known paintings from this section of the series (M.C. Beach, E. Fischer, B.N. Goswamy (ed.), Masters of Indian Painting 1650-1900, Zurich, 2011, p.690).
This beautifully rendered painting depicts Rama standing with folded hands in front of the sage Bharadvaja at his hermitage. Sita and Lakshmana stand behind him followed by the monkey army and Vibhishana, the younger brother of Ravana, the King of Lanka. Ram, Sita and Lakshmana had come to visit Bharadvaja at the same hermitage at the beginning of their fourteen-year exile. He had offered them counsel and shelter. Having defeated Ravana at Lanka, Rama is now ready to return home, to the kingdom of Ayodhya, and has come to bid Bharadvaja farewell. The resplendent golden chariot behind them, known as the Pushpaka Vimana, will transport them back to Ayodhya. It was taken by Ravana from Kubera, the god of wealth, and will be returned back to him by Rama.
Another illustration from Book Six depicts Ram, Sita, Lakshmana and the monkey army seated inside the golden chariot about to begin their return to Ayodhya. Vibhishana, the new king of Lanka, stands outside the chariot casting gold coins over those seated inside. J.P. Losty dates this illustration to circa 1800 and attributes it to an artist from Guler (J.P. Losty, A Mystical Realm of Love - Pahari Paintings from the Eva and Konrad Seitz Collection, London, 2017, no. 22, pp.122-123). Losty notes that the human faces are depicted with an angular profile characteristic of the Guler style and sharp noses which bear the influence of Nainsukh rather than the smoother profile usually associated with Kangra. This suggests that it is quite likely this second part of the series was painted in Guler during the last years of Raja Bhup Singh’s reign prior to its annexation by Sikh forces in 1813 (J.P. Losty, op. cit., p.119).
For two other folios from the second half of this series which have sold at auction, see Bonhams, New York, 11 September 2012, lot 89; and Sotheby’s New York, 21 March 2012, lot 210. A folio of the first half of this series sold at Christie's South Kensington, 12 June 2014, lot 126.
This beautifully rendered painting depicts Rama standing with folded hands in front of the sage Bharadvaja at his hermitage. Sita and Lakshmana stand behind him followed by the monkey army and Vibhishana, the younger brother of Ravana, the King of Lanka. Ram, Sita and Lakshmana had come to visit Bharadvaja at the same hermitage at the beginning of their fourteen-year exile. He had offered them counsel and shelter. Having defeated Ravana at Lanka, Rama is now ready to return home, to the kingdom of Ayodhya, and has come to bid Bharadvaja farewell. The resplendent golden chariot behind them, known as the Pushpaka Vimana, will transport them back to Ayodhya. It was taken by Ravana from Kubera, the god of wealth, and will be returned back to him by Rama.
Another illustration from Book Six depicts Ram, Sita, Lakshmana and the monkey army seated inside the golden chariot about to begin their return to Ayodhya. Vibhishana, the new king of Lanka, stands outside the chariot casting gold coins over those seated inside. J.P. Losty dates this illustration to circa 1800 and attributes it to an artist from Guler (J.P. Losty, A Mystical Realm of Love - Pahari Paintings from the Eva and Konrad Seitz Collection, London, 2017, no. 22, pp.122-123). Losty notes that the human faces are depicted with an angular profile characteristic of the Guler style and sharp noses which bear the influence of Nainsukh rather than the smoother profile usually associated with Kangra. This suggests that it is quite likely this second part of the series was painted in Guler during the last years of Raja Bhup Singh’s reign prior to its annexation by Sikh forces in 1813 (J.P. Losty, op. cit., p.119).
For two other folios from the second half of this series which have sold at auction, see Bonhams, New York, 11 September 2012, lot 89; and Sotheby’s New York, 21 March 2012, lot 210. A folio of the first half of this series sold at Christie's South Kensington, 12 June 2014, lot 126.