Page 165 - March 23 2022 Boinghams NYC Indian and Himalayan Art

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AN ILLUSTRATION FROM A HARIVAMSA
SERIES: THE DEMON NIKUMBHA KIDNAPS THE
PRINCESS BHANUMATI
NORTH INDIA, PUNJAB HILLS, KANGRA, ATTRIBUTED
TO PURKHU, CIRCA 1820
Folio 14Ω x 18Ωin. (36.9 x 47cm.)
Image 12 x 16Ωin. (32.5 x 42cm.)
$30,000-50,000
PROVENANCE:
Royal Mandi Collection.
Private Collection, Germany, by repute.
This painting depicts a famous scene from chapter 2.90 of
the Harivamsa, or The Genealogy of Hari. The Harivamsa
is a work in three chapters, appended to the great epic the
Mahabharata. The red-skinned demon Nikumbha carries
off princess Bhanumati much to the distress of the Yadava
ladies, Vasudeva in green and Ugrasena in pink realising
that Bhanumati has been kidnapped set off in their chariots
to ask Krishna for help. Our painting skillfully depicts the
continuous narrative to great effect, showing Nikumbha and
Krishna at various stages of their dynamic combat.

The saga of Nikumbha is one that the painters of this
Harivamsa series have relished illustrating as it affords many
opportunities to depict dynamic action. A painting published
in Simon Ray, Indian & Islamic Works of Art catalogue, 2010,
pp.102-103, cat.no.45, depicts a battle to rescue the three
abducted daughters of the pious Brahmin, Brahmadatta.
The painting shows three identical versions of the multiplied
demon king carrying the limp bodies of the three daughters
in the midst of battle. In the narrative of the Harivamsa, this is
a scene anterior to the abduction of Bhanumati.
The artist Purkhu is noted for his lyrical depictions of clouds
with expressive swirling shapes rendered in multiple colors,
often outlined in orange. A further painting ascribed to
Purkhu depicting Indra consulting with his preceptor has
similar expressive cloud forms which Goswamy and Fischer
describe as ‘wonderfully inventive.' Purkhu is also noted for
his complex compositions of architectural structures which
appear at several different angles flowing with the narrative
of the scene. Similarly sweeping architectural compositions
can be seen in the Mahabharata series attributed to Purkhu;
a painting from this Mahabharata series recently sold at
Christie’s New York 22 September 2021, lot 461 for $112,500.
Other pages from the Harivamsa series share a remarkably
similar composition, and given the epics' relation to each
other, it is possible they were produced under the same
commission. For further biography on Purkhu and discussion
of his works, see B.N. Goswamy and E. Fischer, Pahari
Masters, New Delhi, 2009 (reprint), pp. 368-387.

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