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Lot Essay
The present folio closely resembles a well-published standalone painting attributed to Manaku (c. 1700-1760) in the Kronos Collection, illustrated here, one of the few paintings bearing an inscription with his name. The present works is likely a later copy by a Master of the First Generation after Manaku and Nainsukh, perhaps completed by Manaku’s son Fattu, who was known to most closely follow the style of his father. For other works attributed to the masters of this generation, see lots 458 and 459.
The treatment of nature in the present work is more restrained than its source image, however, considerably more attention has been paid to the figures— adorned in more vibrant garments, richer ornaments, and hennaed body markings. In this charming and playful composition, Krishna plays coramihicani, or ‘Blind Man’s Bluff’ with his fellow gopas. Clad in a yellow wrap and striped dhoti, Krishna crouches upon a hill, one of his cowherd friends shielding his vision while the others run boisterously away to hide. The friezelike interplay of figures hide behind each other and within the trees, while their herd rests contently in the foreground, evoking a mood of evening pleasure.
The subject beautifully evokes the concept of lila, or divine play, so closely tied to the veneration of Krishna. In this recurring theme in Vaishnav mythology, the world is seen as the stage of divine play in which a god interacts with their devotees. With Krishna, the beloved prankster and young lover, lila is often conveyed through games played with his fellow gopas or dances shared with local gopis, or milkmaids. The allegorical purpose of ‘Blind Man’s Bluff’ suggests nature and the perceivable world is secondary to Krishna’s game.
The treatment of nature in the present work is more restrained than its source image, however, considerably more attention has been paid to the figures— adorned in more vibrant garments, richer ornaments, and hennaed body markings. In this charming and playful composition, Krishna plays coramihicani, or ‘Blind Man’s Bluff’ with his fellow gopas. Clad in a yellow wrap and striped dhoti, Krishna crouches upon a hill, one of his cowherd friends shielding his vision while the others run boisterously away to hide. The friezelike interplay of figures hide behind each other and within the trees, while their herd rests contently in the foreground, evoking a mood of evening pleasure.
The subject beautifully evokes the concept of lila, or divine play, so closely tied to the veneration of Krishna. In this recurring theme in Vaishnav mythology, the world is seen as the stage of divine play in which a god interacts with their devotees. With Krishna, the beloved prankster and young lover, lila is often conveyed through games played with his fellow gopas or dances shared with local gopis, or milkmaids. The allegorical purpose of ‘Blind Man’s Bluff’ suggests nature and the perceivable world is secondary to Krishna’s game.