A Folio from the 'Fifth' Bhagavata Purana Series: Muchukanda Leaves for the Himalayas

INDIA, BASHOLI, CIRCA 1760-65

Details

A Folio from the 'Fifth' Bhagavata Purana Series: Muchukanda Leaves for the Himalayas
India, Basholi, circa 1760-65
The Warrior-king Muchukanda depicted in a saffron colored floral dhoti holding his staff and climbing from the foot of the mountain after taking his leave from Krishna depicted in purple with gold flowers and wearing a green sash, with black rule and red border, the reverse with five-line inscription in black and red ink in Gurmukhi and Devanagari
Folio: 11 7/8 x 16 in. (30 x 40.5 cm.)

Provenance

Collection of Mrs. F.C. Smith, previously sold at Sotheby's London, 1 February 1960, lot 41

Lot Essay

This folio, commissioned under Raja Amrit Pal (1757-78), is from the 'Fifth', variously known as 'Large', Guler-Basholi Bhagavata Purana. Characterized by its size and compositions of few figures within large expanses of space, it illustrates a transitional Basholi style that was to be eclipsed by the Mughal idiom from nearby Guler. Dispersed pages from this manuscript are in numerous public and private collections, including The Victoria and Albert Museum, London, and The Cleveland Museum of Art; Edwin Binney, Sir Howard Hodgkin and Stuart Cary Welch. Compare to two leaves from the series in W.G. Archer, Visions of Courtly India, 1976, cat. nos. 8-9. Archer notes that the Pahari master Nainsukh moved to Basholi after the death of his former patron Balwant Singh of Jammu in 1763 and speculates that Nainsukh might have had a role in directing this 'Fifth' Series in the court atelier.

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