A painting of Hanuman

INDIA, BILASPUR, 1700-1720

Details

A painting of Hanuman
India, Bilaspur, 1700-1720
The monkey god in animated profile facing left, wearing a green veshti and yellow sash, golden bells around his torso and a golden crown with pink lotus petals, surrounded by red borders, the verso with a collector's stamp
Opaque pigments and gold on paper
7¼ x 4 7/8 in. (18.5 x 12.4 cm.), image
8½ x 6 1/8 in. (21.5 x 15.5 cm.), folio

Provenance

Royal Mandi Collection, inv. no. 2441
Private collection, London, acquired at Sotheby's London, 24 May 2007, lot 5

Lot Essay

Hanuman is painted with carefree joy, his hands and tail raised in dance while his scarf sways with movement. The artist has deftly portrayed his formidable strength with bold outlines of the body, contrasted by feathery strokes to show his furry limbs and tail. This and the previous two paintings (lots 2-4) are possibly from the same dispersed series, likely a Ramayana. The inscription on the verso indicates this painting was folio 21 in the original manuscript.

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