Page 82 - Indian and Himalayan Art Mar 21, 2018 NYC

341

A nayaka (hero) in the bedchamber of a nayika (heroine) who looks downcast including aspects such as passion, estrangement, longing, rapprochement,
and holds her forehead in her hand in a gesture of rebuke and anger. joy, and sorrow. The 9th century literary critic Anandavardhana declared in
Meanwhile the peacocks continue their sharp call in the night outside. It is a his Dhvanyaloka that “a single stanza . . . may provide the taste of love equal to
classic depiction of a tif, neither party looking at the other; each thinking that what is found in whole volumes.”
they are in the right.
The present painting comes from a dispersed series which is typifed by
See Seitz, Orchha, Datia, Panna: ‘’Malwa’’-Miniaturen von den Rajputischen the very pronounced scrolling arabesque panels that run across the bottom
Höfen Bundelkhands 1580-1850, 2015, Vol. II, nos. 32.1-32.5, most likely from of each painting. A number of examples are published including those
the same series as the present example. formerly in the Paul Walter Collection (P. Pal, The Classical Tradition in Rajput
Painting, New York, 1978, no.10, pp.66-7), Edwin Binney (Rajput Miniatures
The Amarusataka (the hundred stanzas of [the poet] Amaru) is a collection of from the Collection of Edwin Binney 3rd, Portland 1968, no.47, p.62), Konrad
poems of the 7th/8th century and ranks as one of the fnest lyrical works in Seitz (Orchha, Datia, Panna: ‘’Malwa’’-Miniaturen von den Rajputischen Höfen
the annals of Sanskrit literature. Its subject is mostly Sringara (romantic love), Bundelkhands 1580-1850, 2015, Vol. II, nos. 32.1-32.5.