Page 143 - Eye of the beholder

Indian miniatures have made use of prolific metaphors derived from nature that have gestured towards love conditions as well as to alluding to the beauty of the women. The waning moon is symbolic of the dark night and her desire to set out and meet her lover, which her sakhi forbids her to do so. The provocative pose of Radha, the seductive half open eyes, the half open choli suggestive of erotic mood, the hennaed hands and the empty bed are significant of an absent lover and her desire to meet him. The lotuses in the pond are also indicative of her blossoming love. She could be the representation of one of the ashta nayikas namely the Vipralabdha or the one who is pining for her lover.
A well composed painting; it has the elegant, free flowing, rhythmic and charming line, a salient feature of Pahari paintings. The line silently glides over, defining the female beauty, the architectural elements, marble paved mosaic floor, as well as the delicate carvings on the marble pillars, chajja and the parapet including the graceful minarets at the upper two corners. Capturing the imagination is the Nayika or the heroine whose dripping grace and charm is as poetic as it is lyrical. Her flowing odhini and the Ghaghara enhance her beautiful posture further. The artist’s creativity and deft skills manifest in the rendering of the textures of various textiles namely the fine and delicate muslin Ghaghara and the diaphanous odhini, the purple heavy brocade screen rolled up in the pavilion, the delicate printed bed sheet in off yellow, and the pink and green printed bolster. The sensuously delineated hills in the background have the subtle nuanced shades of green and burnt sienna. It very clearly establishes that the artist was a superior painter well acquainted with the conventions of western art in the use of intuitive perspective, subtle chiaroscuro including the rendering of the textures of marble and bricks. The visual aesthetics have been well composed and judiciously balanced including the surrounding floral frame.
The painting of another illustration to Rasikapriya in the Sandhu Collection bears affinity to the Kishangarh kalam particularly the large fish shaped eyes and the elegant strand of curl kissing the cheek. Yet difficulty remains in its identification of the provenance because of its hybrid texture in the various compositional elements. But vitally though no written script appears in the painting, certain Mewar conventions of pots and pans, the paan, sandalwood paste find resonance here. It is night time represented by a waning moon and stars in the sky. Radha as the main protagonist with her hennaed hands holds a lotus flower is represented restless, angry and agitated, perhaps complaining to her sakhi that Krishna has failed to keep his word of meeting her. She is seated on an elegant four legged and low back rest spacious chair, against which is placed a large blue poster with yellow ochre motif printed on it. The wooden back rest, legs and the borders are in wood, decorated with delicate motifs painted on it. The seat of the chair is cushioned and is covered with textile that has delicately printed motifs against a white background. She is attired in a long white gown that has a simple motif printed perhaps in gold, in what is known as the khadi print. The odhini apparently is fine cotton though not transparent and in yellow ochre, providing a contrast to her white printed gown. The jewellery she wears is profuse but delicate in design and character. She is resting herself against this bolster; her beautiful hennaed feet are resting on a small low leg stool, and with a pillow of similar colour and print resting in her lap.
The mood is one of crackling annoyance indicated by her aggressive gesture and posture throwing a tantrum to her sakhi who is doing her best to pacify her. Two sakhis standing behind her are apparently discussing her mood and emotions that she is going through. They
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