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Lot Essay
The sage Garga has come to Gokul and has been asked to perform samskarana, the naming ceremony, for the young Krishna and Balarama. Garga agrees to do so, but in secret, for if King Kamsa were to find out then the boys’ lives would be put in danger. We see the sage and his assistant sat to the left, sat across the sacred fire from Balarama and Krishna accompanied by Nanda and their foster mothers. The two boys are finely dressed in jamas and caps for the occasion and sit in an elegant hall with rolled-up silver brocade hangings.
The painting comes from a large series which W.G. Archer refers to as the ‘Large’ Guler-Basohli Bhagavata Purana series or the ‘Fifth’ Basohli Bhagavata Purana of 1760-65 (W.G. Archer, Indian Paintings from the Punjab Hills, vol.I, London, 1973, 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 18th century. [It] is one of the richest sources of information for our knowledge of Pahari paintings” (L.Y. Leach, Mughal and Other Indian Paintings from the Chester Beatty Library, vol.II, 1995, p.1048). The composition of the illustrations and 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.
It is noted by B.N. Goswamy and Eberhard Fischer 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 (ed.)., et al., Masters of Indian Painting, New Delhi, 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 paintings, see Goswamy, op. cit., pp.689-94.
Although slightly smaller than most others, our painting clearly comes from the same series (Losty, op.cit., p.68). The composition, which includes an area of dead space in the left-hand third of the painting relates very closely to other known examples sold in these Rooms 24 October 2019, lot 132 and 28 October 2021, lot 60. On 1 February 1961 Sotheby’s London sold 151 paintings from the series of the 10th book in 63 lots. The present lot formed part of lot 3. 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 painting comes from a large series which W.G. Archer refers to as the ‘Large’ Guler-Basohli Bhagavata Purana series or the ‘Fifth’ Basohli Bhagavata Purana of 1760-65 (W.G. Archer, Indian Paintings from the Punjab Hills, vol.I, London, 1973, 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 18th century. [It] is one of the richest sources of information for our knowledge of Pahari paintings” (L.Y. Leach, Mughal and Other Indian Paintings from the Chester Beatty Library, vol.II, 1995, p.1048). The composition of the illustrations and 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.
It is noted by B.N. Goswamy and Eberhard Fischer 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 (ed.)., et al., Masters of Indian Painting, New Delhi, 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 paintings, see Goswamy, op. cit., pp.689-94.
Although slightly smaller than most others, our painting clearly comes from the same series (Losty, op.cit., p.68). The composition, which includes an area of dead space in the left-hand third of the painting relates very closely to other known examples sold in these Rooms 24 October 2019, lot 132 and 28 October 2021, lot 60. On 1 February 1961 Sotheby’s London sold 151 paintings from the series of the 10th book in 63 lots. The present lot formed part of lot 3. 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.