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Lot Essay
This illustration is from Book ten, canto fifty six of the Bhagavata Purana and is from the Syamantaka Upakhyana, The Tale of the Syamantaka Jewel. The jewel was gifted by the sun god Surya to his friend Satrajit who Krishna implores to present the jewel to the Yadava King. Preferring to use the jewel for his own wealth, Satrajit refuses without thinking of the consequences this might bring. One day the brother of Satrajit borrows the jewel to take hunting in the forest. He is killed by a lion which in turn takes the jewel. When the bear Jambavan comes across the lion he covets the gemstone and kills the lion which is the scene shown here. The jewel taken by Jambavan to his mountain cave and given to his baby son to play with, which is illustrated in a folio from the same series that was sold in these Rooms, 10 June 2015, lot 52.
The painting is from a large dispersed series which W.G. Archer referred to as the ‘Large’ Guler-Basohli Bhagavata Purana series or the ‘Fifth’ Basohli Bhagavata Purana series 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" (Linda York 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 the most renowned Pahari artists of the period Manaku and Nainsukh, the sons of Pandit Seu. B.N. Goswamy and Eberhard Fischer note 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 also incorporated artistic elements from the latter. It is possible that one of Nainsukh’s sons was also involved in the series (B.N. 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.
Several paintings from this series were sold across 63 lots at Sotheby's London in February 1960, the Property of Mrs F.C. Smith. A further group was again sold by Sotheby's in July 1965. Paintings from the 'Large' Guler-Basohli Bhagavata Purana are in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (acc. no. 61.382), the Victoria & Albert Museum (acc. nos. IS.38-1960 through IS.42-1960), the San Diego Museum of Art (acc. no. 1990.1060) and the Philadelphia Museum of Art (acc. no. 1987-52-13). The paintings all have inscriptions in devanagari and takri script on the reverse identifying the scenes illustrated. The majority of paintings, like the present lot, have red margins with a narrow inner black border and double white rules but some have just the red margins and black border.
This painting was previously in the collection of Anthony Hobson (d.2014). Hobson was a prodigy in his field, appointed to Head of Sotheby’s Book Department aged twenty seven, and the greatest expert in the world on Renaissance bookbinding. An all-round bibliophile who was appointed president of the Internationale de Bibliophilie (1985-1999), Hobson was also a lifelong collector of art and furniture. Greatly informed by his wife Tanya Vinogradoff, Anthony Hobson’s collection ranged across periods and registers from Old Master drawings to pre-Raphaelite-individual delights, to 18th century Indian paintings.
For further paintings from this series which have sold in these Rooms, see 24 October 2024, lot 167; 28 October 2021, lot 60; 2 May 2019, lot 99; 12 June 2018, lot 143; 10 June 2015, lots 52, 54, 55 and 56; and Christie’s, South Kensington, 10 June 2013, lot 177; 7 October 2011, lots 394, 395. Another was sold at Christie's, New York, 20 March 2024, lot 549.
The painting is from a large dispersed series which W.G. Archer referred to as the ‘Large’ Guler-Basohli Bhagavata Purana series or the ‘Fifth’ Basohli Bhagavata Purana series 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" (Linda York 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 the most renowned Pahari artists of the period Manaku and Nainsukh, the sons of Pandit Seu. B.N. Goswamy and Eberhard Fischer note 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 also incorporated artistic elements from the latter. It is possible that one of Nainsukh’s sons was also involved in the series (B.N. 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.
Several paintings from this series were sold across 63 lots at Sotheby's London in February 1960, the Property of Mrs F.C. Smith. A further group was again sold by Sotheby's in July 1965. Paintings from the 'Large' Guler-Basohli Bhagavata Purana are in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (acc. no. 61.382), the Victoria & Albert Museum (acc. nos. IS.38-1960 through IS.42-1960), the San Diego Museum of Art (acc. no. 1990.1060) and the Philadelphia Museum of Art (acc. no. 1987-52-13). The paintings all have inscriptions in devanagari and takri script on the reverse identifying the scenes illustrated. The majority of paintings, like the present lot, have red margins with a narrow inner black border and double white rules but some have just the red margins and black border.
This painting was previously in the collection of Anthony Hobson (d.2014). Hobson was a prodigy in his field, appointed to Head of Sotheby’s Book Department aged twenty seven, and the greatest expert in the world on Renaissance bookbinding. An all-round bibliophile who was appointed president of the Internationale de Bibliophilie (1985-1999), Hobson was also a lifelong collector of art and furniture. Greatly informed by his wife Tanya Vinogradoff, Anthony Hobson’s collection ranged across periods and registers from Old Master drawings to pre-Raphaelite-individual delights, to 18th century Indian paintings.
For further paintings from this series which have sold in these Rooms, see 24 October 2024, lot 167; 28 October 2021, lot 60; 2 May 2019, lot 99; 12 June 2018, lot 143; 10 June 2015, lots 52, 54, 55 and 56; and Christie’s, South Kensington, 10 June 2013, lot 177; 7 October 2011, lots 394, 395. Another was sold at Christie's, New York, 20 March 2024, lot 549.