AN ILLUSTRATION TO A RAGAMALA SERIES: BHAIRAVA RAGA

In all known ragamala albums, Bhairava is the head of the first family, and the raga is depicted as an image of Shiva. Although Bhairava is the fearsome aspect of Shiva, Pahari and Rajput paintings usually portray a peaceful and serene image of the deity when illustrating this raga. Our painting depicts a calm figure of Shiva seated on the bull Nandi, holding an alms bowl in his right hand and a trident in his left. The painting succeeds in achieving a bold and dramatic effect with the image of Shiva filling up most of the pictorial space and with the juxtaposition of the bright red textiles against the yellow background.

There is another folio from this Nurpur series illustrated in C. Glynn et al., Ragamala: Paintings from India from the Claudio Moscatelli Collection, London, 2011, no. 5, pg. 46-48; and an additional folio in the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection (ibid., fig. 10, pg. 33)

For other folios from this Nurpur series, initially attributed to the court of Basohli, see Galloway 2000, nos. 34 & 35; Galloway 1998, no. 8. Another folio sold in these rooms, 20 and 22 October 1992, lot 201.