42-43 / 186
Pahari miniatures emerged as a distinct style by the late 17
th
century and flourished until the 19
th
century. These paintings
were made on stiff sheets of handmade paper, often less than
18 inches long, and were executed in gouache on an already
prepared ground. Sometimes, miniatures depicting religious
subjects were pinned to walls for worship. Others were kept
in portfolios or stored in bundles wrapped in cloth. Like
Rajasthani painting, Pahari miniature painting thrived under
the patronage of local rulers. The term is used to classify
paintings from the Rajput kingdoms of Punjab and Garhwal
hills, which saw the emergence of many centres of painting.
Key among these were Basohli, Chamba, Mankot, Jammu,
Guler, Kangra, Nurpur, and Garhwal.
With the decline of Basohli painting in the mid‒18th century,
the art of Kangra began to gain recognition under the patronage
of Maharaja Sansar Chand (1775 – 1823). The Kangra style
developed around the first half of the 18
th
century, shortly
after Nadir Shah of Iran invaded northern India in 1739. Artists
who had trained in the Mughal style came to Kangra seeking
refugee from the Persians. The rulers of Kangra and Guler
patronised the arts, and many artists sought employment at
their courts. Kangra paintings range from portraits of rulers, to
paintings depicting
nayikas
, scenes of Krishna and Radha or
the
gopis
from the
Bhagavata Purana
that imbibe much of the
natural beauty that Kangra is famed for.
18
KRISHNA YEARNING FOR HIS LOVER
Proshita Nayaka
c. 1780‒1790
Kangra School
Size: 8.5 x 6 in (21.6 x 15.2 cm)
$ 13,515 ‒ 16,220
Rs 10,00,000 ‒ 12,00,000
NON‒EXPORTABLE REGISTERED ANTIQUITY
PROVENANCE
Saffronart, 25 ‒ 26 April 2012, lot 13
43