Page 32 - Bonhams, Indian and Himalayan Art New York July 23, 2020

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AN ILLUSTRATION FROM A BHAGAVATA PURANA SERIES: Adapted from Bryant (trans), Krishna: The Beautiful Legend of God
KRISHNA AND BALARAMA PLAYING WITH GOPAS IN THE (Srimad Bhagavata Purana Book X), London, 2013, p.92.
FOREST
MEWAR, CIRCA 1700 The painting’s landscape format, busy narrative, and bold colors are
Opaque watercolor and gold on paper; verso with two lines of exemplary of the illustrated Bhagavata Puranas produced by Mewar’s
devanagari text in black ink. royal atelier under the reign of Amar Singh II (r.1698-1710). For a full
Image: 7 1/2 x 14 1/2 in. (19 x 36.8 cm); discussion of the production of such popular narratives under his
Folio: 10 1/8 x 16 in. (25.7 x 40.6 cm) reign, see Topsfield, Court Painting at Udaipur, Zurich, 2001, pp.94-5,
figs.57-62.
$10,000 - 15,000
Compare related pages from earlier series in: Rawson, Indian Painting,
In vibrant colors, the painting shows Krishna and Balarama dancing, Paris, 1961, p.123; Chandra, Mewar Painting, New Delhi, 1979, pls.8-
wrestling, and playing practical jokes with their friends the gopas 9; Sharma (ed.), Indian Art Treasures: Suresh Neotia Collection, 2006,
(cowherds). Several chapters in Book X of the Bhagavata Purana, no.85; Sotheby’s, New York, 21 March 2012, lot 235; and Sotheby’s,
dedicated to Krishna, begin with this idyllic scene before it is New York, 17 March 2015, lot 1134.
interrupted by the need to quell a demon. Chapters 12 and 18 are Provenance
examples. An excerpt from chapter 18 follows: Estate of William and Josephine Roth (1916-2014), San Francisco
“The forest was beautiful, full of flowers and echoing with the sounds
of various animals and birds, singing peacocks and bees, and the
noises of cuckoos and cranes. Preparing to play, Bhagavan Krishna
entered that forest vibrating his flute. He was accompanied by
Balarama and surrounded by the gopas and their cows, which were
their riches [...] They danced, wrestled and sang [...] Sometimes (they
played) with [fruits] [...] Sometimes they bound their eyes, and [played
tag] and other such games, and sometimes they pretended to be
animals and birds.”

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