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Lot Essay
This illustration is from Book Ten of the Bhagavata Purana. Akrura, a Yadava chief, has brought a message to Krishna and his brother Balarama from Kansa, the king of Mathura and Krishna's evil uncle. Kansa has invited Krishna and Balarama to a celebration in Mathura but he intends to kill Krishna when he arrives. Akrura sees through Kansa's cunning plan and warns Krishna of his uncle's intentions. Nevertheless, Krishna and Balarama plan to go to the celebration. There is a related illustration in the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art which illustrates Akrura's mystic vision of Krishna as a cosmic deity seated underwater while Krishna and Balarama are in a chariot on their way to attend Kansa's festivities in Mathura (acc.no.1994-148-483).
The present painting is from a large series which W.G. Archer referred to as the ‘Large’ Guler-Basohli Bhagavata Purana series or the ‘Fifth’ Basohli Bhagavata Purana series of 1760-65 (Archer, 1973, vol.I, Basohli 22, pp.49-51). In her discussion of four paintings from the same set in the Chester Beatty Library, Linda York Leach explains: '[they demonstrate] changes that occurred in traditional hill painting during the eighteenth century. [It] is one of the richest sources of information’ for our knowledge of Pahari paintings (Leach, 1995, vol.II, p.1048). The composition of the illustrations and the style of painting exhibit a strong dependence and awareness of the work of Manaku and Nainsukh, sons of Pandit Seu, and the most renowned Pahari artists of this period. B.N. Goswamy and Eberhard Fischer note that the series is often attributed to Manaku’s son Fattu who was taught by his father. Fattu is thought to have lived with his uncle Nainsukh in Basohli for some time and would have, therefore, also incorporated artistic elements from the latter. It is possible that one of Nainsukh’s sons was also involved in the series (Goswamy (eds)., et al., 2011, p.689). Although difficult to firmly attribute the series to any one painter from the first generation after Manaku and Nainsukh, it is evident that a ‘family style’ can be recognised. Basohli was originally suggested as the place of production but it now seems more appropriate to link the series to a group of painters than to a specific place in the Pahari region. For a list of known series and individual works attributed to this remarkable group of painters, see Goswamy, op. cit., pp.689-694.
The majority of this set was sold at Sotheby’s, London in February 1960 from the collection of Mrs. F.C. Smith. It is now widely dispersed among various public and private collections. The paintings all bear inscriptions on the reverse in takri and devanagari describing the illustrations. Some, like our painting, have red borders with black rules, others with black and double white rules. The image sizes vary. The earlier folios have images measuring approx. 23 x 33 cm. and the later folios, like ours, have slightly larger images.
For other paintings from this series which have sold in these Rooms, see 2 May 2019, lot 99; 12 June 2018, lot 143; 10 June 2015, lots 54-56; and Christie’s, South Kensington, 10 June 2013, lot 177; 7 October 2011, lots 394, 395.
The present painting is from a large series which W.G. Archer referred to as the ‘Large’ Guler-Basohli Bhagavata Purana series or the ‘Fifth’ Basohli Bhagavata Purana series of 1760-65 (Archer, 1973, vol.I, Basohli 22, pp.49-51). In her discussion of four paintings from the same set in the Chester Beatty Library, Linda York Leach explains: '[they demonstrate] changes that occurred in traditional hill painting during the eighteenth century. [It] is one of the richest sources of information’ for our knowledge of Pahari paintings (Leach, 1995, vol.II, p.1048). The composition of the illustrations and the style of painting exhibit a strong dependence and awareness of the work of Manaku and Nainsukh, sons of Pandit Seu, and the most renowned Pahari artists of this period. B.N. Goswamy and Eberhard Fischer note that the series is often attributed to Manaku’s son Fattu who was taught by his father. Fattu is thought to have lived with his uncle Nainsukh in Basohli for some time and would have, therefore, also incorporated artistic elements from the latter. It is possible that one of Nainsukh’s sons was also involved in the series (Goswamy (eds)., et al., 2011, p.689). Although difficult to firmly attribute the series to any one painter from the first generation after Manaku and Nainsukh, it is evident that a ‘family style’ can be recognised. Basohli was originally suggested as the place of production but it now seems more appropriate to link the series to a group of painters than to a specific place in the Pahari region. For a list of known series and individual works attributed to this remarkable group of painters, see Goswamy, op. cit., pp.689-694.
The majority of this set was sold at Sotheby’s, London in February 1960 from the collection of Mrs. F.C. Smith. It is now widely dispersed among various public and private collections. The paintings all bear inscriptions on the reverse in takri and devanagari describing the illustrations. Some, like our painting, have red borders with black rules, others with black and double white rules. The image sizes vary. The earlier folios have images measuring approx. 23 x 33 cm. and the later folios, like ours, have slightly larger images.
For other paintings from this series which have sold in these Rooms, see 2 May 2019, lot 99; 12 June 2018, lot 143; 10 June 2015, lots 54-56; and Christie’s, South Kensington, 10 June 2013, lot 177; 7 October 2011, lots 394, 395.