Page 140 - September 20th 2021, Indian and Himalayan Art Christie's NYC

460
A PAINTING OF KRISHNA PLAYING 'BLIND MAN'S BLUFF'
WITH FELLOW COWHERDS
INDIA, PAHARI HILLS, KANGRA, MASTER OF THE FIRST
GENERATION AFTER MANAKU AND NAINSUKH,
CIRCA 1775-1780
Folio 10 x 7æ in. (25.4 x 19.7 cm.)
Image 9¡ x 7º in. (23.8 x 18.4 cm.)
$60,000-80,000
PROVENANCE:
Doris Wiener, New York.
Collection of Baroness Mary McFall de Gunzburg, New York, acquired
from the above 21 September 1973.

The present folio closely resembles a well-published standalone painting
attributed to Manaku (c. 1700-1760) in the Kronos Collection, illustrated
here, one of the few paintings bearing an inscription with his name. The
present works is likely a later copy by a Master of the First Generation
after Manaku and Nainsukh, perhaps completed by Manaku’s son Fattu,
who was known to most closely follow the style of his father. For other
works attributed to the masters of this generation, see lots 458 and 459.
The treatment of nature in the present work is more restrained than
its source image, however, considerably more attention has been paid
to the figures— adorned in more vibrant garments, richer ornaments,
and hennaed body markings. In this charming and playful composition,
Krishna plays coramihicani, or ‘Blind Man’s Bluff’ with his fellow gopas.
Clad in a yellow wrap and striped dhoti, Krishna crouches upon a hill,
one of his cowherd friends shielding his vision while the others run
boisterously away to hide. The friezelike interplay of figures hide behind
each other and within the trees, while their herd rests contently in the
foreground, evoking a mood of evening pleasure.

The subject beautifully evokes the concept of lila, or divine play, so
closely tied to the veneration of Krishna. In this recurring theme in
Vaishnav mythology, the world is seen as the stage of divine play in
which a god interacts with their devotees. With Krishna, the beloved
prankster and young lover, lila is often conveyed through games played
with his fellow gopas or dances shared with local gopis, or milkmaids.
The allegorical purpose of ‘Blind Man’s Bluff’ suggests nature and the
perceivable world is secondary to Krishna’s game. Krishna Playing Blindman’s Bluff; India, Pahari Hills, Guler,
ascribed to Manaku (active ca. 1725-60) 1750-55; 95/8 x 6¾ in.
(24.5 x 17.2 cm); The Kronos Collection.