INDIA, PUNJAB HILLS, GULER, CIRCA 1810-1820

The present painting exhibits themes from the Baramasa, a poetic genre popularized by the brajbasha poet Keshavdas describing the romantic attributes of each month of the calendar. In the visual tradition, Baramasa are often themed around the love between nayakas and nayikas both in union and separation. The present scene appears to represent the brisk winter month of Pausha, signaled by the prince's warm shawl and the migration of Siberian cranes who make their winter home in north India. Pausha is also not seen as the time to quarrel with one's lover, which is why the nayaka and nayika are depicted in animate conversation on a terrace. In this romantic scene, they look over a scenic expanse of rolling hills and a waterfall spilling into a striated grey river.
Stylistically and compositionally, this scene mimics a Baramasa painting from the spring month of Chaitra, sold at Christie's London, 31 March 2022, lot 94. Another terrace scene depicting the month of Pausha sold at Sotheby's London, 27 October 2021, lot 151; and a night scene of Pausha sold at Christie's New York, 22 September 2021, lot 463.