NORTHERN INDIA, CIRCA 1520-30

The dispersed series of Bhagavata Purana folios are considered the most important extant Hindu paintings from the pre-Mughal period. It is an early and indigenous painting style referred to as Chaurapanchasika after a 16th century Ahmedabad manuscript. The style is characterized by bold color planes mostly in red and indigo and facial features with eyes rendered in thick black line. Other leaves from this series can be found at the Art Institute of Chicago; the Virgina Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond; the Metrpolitan Museum of Art, New York; the San Diego Museum of Art; and varied private collections.