Page 150 - March 23 2022 Boinghams NYC Indian and Himalayan Art

A Folio from the ‘Bharany’ Ramayana

This painting is from a dispersed series of the Ramayana of Valmiki, painted the upper left corner, Rama kisses the feet of their father, King Dasharatha, as
in Kangra circa 1775-1780, by a master of the first generation after Nainsukh Lakshamana bids farewell to his mother Sumitra. Rama’s mother, Kaushayla,
and Manaku. The series originally belonged to the dealer C.L. Bharany from and Dashratha’s third wife, Keikeyi, also bid their farewells. As per the artists
which it takes its name, although it is also at times referred to as the Second talent, the figure’s emotions are all wonderfully exemplified with expressions
Guler Ramayana series. The series exemplifies the Pahari style at its best, of pride and assurance as the brothers set out on their first great feat. The sage
presenting a world of refinement and delicacy on every page. Vishwamitra leads the way, in a scene continued at the bottom right corner of
the painting, as the trio departs to fight demons disturbing sacrificial rites in
The artists of this series produced among the most well-known and well- the area. In a receding plane beyond the city gates, the artist offers a glimpse
celebrated series in Indian painting, including the present series, the ‘Tehri of the bustling urban life in Ayodhya, with a multitude of figures so delicately
Garhwal’ Gita Govinda and the ‘Modi’ Bhagavata Purana. The three works are drawn they are scarcely discernable. In the foreground, the artists pay homage
all closely related stylistically and ichnographically and, according to W.G. to the lush nature of the Pahari region using the scenery surrounding the Beas
Archer, these series were all commissioned by the mother of Raja Sansar River to inspire their interpretations of the Sarayu and Ganga.
Chand of Kangra (r. 1775-1823) for his wedding in 1781. These series together
rank among of finest achievements in Indian painting, becoming some of the Although the series is unnumbered, and not previously known to the public
most coveted illustrations among collectors. until its dispersal in the 1970s, it is estimated that about 100 pages of the
'Bharany' Ramayana subsist in private and public collections. These include
As a whole, the delicately detailed Ramayana series carries all of the works from the first three chapters of the Ramayana. The final two books
trademark characteristics of this generation of artist: a restrained color were completed by the same generation in a slightly later continuation series,
palette, lyrical drawing, poetic suggestions and an intimate reflection on variously attributed to between 1780 and 1800, for example, see the following
nature. The individual paintings are particularly inventive and varied, although lot.
many follow a similar composition along a diagonal, with a succession of
plans and perspectives. It is possible that various hands participated in this Among the 'Bharany' section, five illustrations from the Edwin Binney
series although the artist responsible for this painting, likely painted all of III Collection are in the San Diego Museum of Art (acc. nos. 1990.1267;
the cityscapes in the series. A remarkable distinction between the present 1990:1260; 1990:1265; 1990:1266; 1990:1268); two illustrations are in the
series and the Gita Govinda and Bhagavata Purana is that the figures in the Brooklyn Museum, New York (acc. nos. 78.256.3 and 80.181); four illustrations
Ramayana are painted in much smaller scale, often as if seen from a distance, are at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (acc. nos. 1985.398.14, 1976.15,
which is utilized often in city scenes like the present lot. A possible attribution 1976.14, 1976.15); five illustrations are at the Museum Rietberg (acc no. RVI
to Gaudhi, the second of Nainsukh's four sons has been suggested for these 981 and four published Britschgi and Fischer nos 11, 13 37 and 58); three
scenes. illustrations are at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (acc. nos. 2002-11-1, 2004-
149-73 and 1977-11-1). The Minneapolis Museum of art also recently acquired a
The present painting depicts a scene from the Balakanda, the first book of page from the series formerly in the Paul F. Walter collection (acc. no. 2021.7).
the Ramayana detailing Rama’s childhood. The moments in this illustration Few examples come to auction; most recently a page from the series sold at
depict Rama and Lakshmana’s initial departure from their father’s court. In Christie’s South Kensington on 11 June 2014, lot 126 for GBP 182,500.

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