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Two folios from a bhagavata purana series An equestrian portrait of Maharaja Kishore Singh
Mewar, first half 17th century Kota, early 19th century
Opaque watercolor on paper; devanagari text with square format Opaque watercolor and gold on paper; inscribed verso with two lines of
illustrations to each side; one page with recto of Krishna and Balarama Devanagari in different hands
with four naked cowherds driving cows back to their stalls where they are ‘Shri Gosain ji Jawad ji Maharaj Shri ji duvaar(?) ra’
received by four gopis, and verso of Krishna and Balarama served food ‘Jadu Ji Maharaj Sawari mein ghodo Abudeep(?)’
and wine by two maidservants with two beds are prepared for the night; Folio: 6 x 9 1/2 in. (15.2 x 24.13 cm)
the second page with recto of a battle scene and multi-armed demon, $2,000 - 3,000
and verso with a palace scene with ruler tended by maidens.
Each Folio: 9 1/4 x 16 in. (23.8 x 40.7 cm) While the inscription is incomplete and does not clearly identify the
$4,000 - 6,000 subject, the treatment of his portrait, turban, and the attire of the
attendants are all consistent with the period and style under Kishore Singh
These folios are from the Uttaradha, the tenth book of the Bhagavata of Kota (r. 1683-96).
Purana. The recently discovered manuscript is the earliest illustrated
Bhagavata that can be assigned to Mewar with any certainty. Accomplished 150
in execution, the bold color, flat planes, vigorous compositions show the A portrait of Maharaja Jagat Singh
influence of early Rajput painting, but the refined line and subtle shading Mewar, 18th century
indicate an awareness of Mughal painting. As these paintings are less The posthumous copy with the nimbate maharaja appreciating the beauty
complex than those done for the Mewar court during the mid 17th century, of the flower, with pearls draped across his chest and around his kattar.
it has been suggested that this manuscript was possibly painted in a Image: 8 3/4 x 5 3/4 in. (22.3 x 14 cm)
workshop outlying the center of Mewar. In style, the painting is similar to a $2,000 - 3,000
Dhola-Maru mansucript in the National Museum of India, New Delhi, which
was painted in Aghatpur, near Udaipur. Provenance:
Private Pittsburgh Collection
For other leaves from this manuscript see: Ehnbom, Indian Miniatures,
New York, 1985, no. 49; Poster, Realms of Heroism, New York, 1994, nos
154-5; the Metropolitan Museum of Art (1980.530.1a, b); and Sotheby’s,
New York, 22 March, 2002, lot 13 and 26 March 2003, lot 120.

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