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Lot Essay
This present lot shows a fascinating synergy between Krishna’s adolescence and adulthood. His life in Braj, outlined in Book X of the Bhagavata Purana, is defined by passionate encounters with the gopis, female cow herders devoted to Krishna. As an adult, Krishna is remembered as a warrior and spiritual guide, especially to Arjuna as they embark to defeat the Kaurava army. Aboard Garuda, the vehicle of Vishnu, Krishna the warrior and Krishna the lover collide.
Several aesthetic and material elements reveal a specific Nepali influence, a living testament to the impact of Hindu myth throughout the South Asian region. Krishna and his companion, pictured riding Garuda in the bottom right corner, wear crowns that feature a fringe-like adornment, recalling the Bird of Paradise feathered crescent plumes on the Nepalese royal family’s crowns. Furthermore, Krishna’s sword resembles the kukri, the national weapon of Nepal, because of its thin base, expanded upper end, and metallic appearance. In fact, the emphasis on military weapons in the painting’s border reflects the martial atmosphere in Nepal at the end of the eighteenth century, when the Shah dynasty fell and the Gorkha empire began. The physical landscape encapsulates a distinct Himalayan environment in the multi-colored jagged peaks, the river that runs through the town, and the distinctly Nepalese architecture. At a structural level, the neatly reflected town scene and play with round and square shapes echo the mandala, an important consideration given that the Kathmandu Valley is coneived as a physical mandala. This comparison clearly establishes the illustration’s deeply rooted connection to the Himalayan region, and the artist’s impressive skill to blend majestic Hindu and Nepali cultures. In beautiful red, blue, orange, and pink hues, this illustration is a mythological, historical, and aesthetic feast.
Several aesthetic and material elements reveal a specific Nepali influence, a living testament to the impact of Hindu myth throughout the South Asian region. Krishna and his companion, pictured riding Garuda in the bottom right corner, wear crowns that feature a fringe-like adornment, recalling the Bird of Paradise feathered crescent plumes on the Nepalese royal family’s crowns. Furthermore, Krishna’s sword resembles the kukri, the national weapon of Nepal, because of its thin base, expanded upper end, and metallic appearance. In fact, the emphasis on military weapons in the painting’s border reflects the martial atmosphere in Nepal at the end of the eighteenth century, when the Shah dynasty fell and the Gorkha empire began. The physical landscape encapsulates a distinct Himalayan environment in the multi-colored jagged peaks, the river that runs through the town, and the distinctly Nepalese architecture. At a structural level, the neatly reflected town scene and play with round and square shapes echo the mandala, an important consideration given that the Kathmandu Valley is coneived as a physical mandala. This comparison clearly establishes the illustration’s deeply rooted connection to the Himalayan region, and the artist’s impressive skill to blend majestic Hindu and Nepali cultures. In beautiful red, blue, orange, and pink hues, this illustration is a mythological, historical, and aesthetic feast.