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Lot Essay
Sudama, a poor Brahmin, was a childhood friend of Krishna. He fell on hard times and, after initially resisting, gave into his wife's pleas to visit Krishna and ask for help. She packed a bundle of rice to be given as a present and encouraged Sudama to meet Krishna in his palace at Dwarka. On his arrival, Krishna was so elated to see his old friend that he rushed to embrace him. Krishna was so taken by Sudama's generosity in offering a gift despite how little he had that he transforms his ramshackle hut into a palatial mansion.
The story of Sudama and Krishna from the Bhagavata Purana proved popular inspiration for Pahari painters and many similar scenes can be found. Two scenes from a Garhwal series of 1775-90 are in the Victoria & Albert Museum (IS.548-1952 and IS.549-1952). A very similar painting from the story, showing Krishna treating Sudama as his guest in the palace, was sold at Sotheby's Paris, 18 November 2013, lot 124. That painting has a similarly depicted Sudama, in tattered grey clothes and thin black moustache whilst Krishna appears in similar orange jama and golden arm bands. Attributed as Kangra, circa 1800, these two might even have come from the same series.
The story of Sudama and Krishna from the Bhagavata Purana proved popular inspiration for Pahari painters and many similar scenes can be found. Two scenes from a Garhwal series of 1775-90 are in the Victoria & Albert Museum (IS.548-1952 and IS.549-1952). A very similar painting from the story, showing Krishna treating Sudama as his guest in the palace, was sold at Sotheby's Paris, 18 November 2013, lot 124. That painting has a similarly depicted Sudama, in tattered grey clothes and thin black moustache whilst Krishna appears in similar orange jama and golden arm bands. Attributed as Kangra, circa 1800, these two might even have come from the same series.