Page 157 - Eye of the beholder

The sky represented in the background has streaks of oranges against the blue expanse, suggesting dusk and hence the time for lovers meets. In the background projecting prominently is a rocky out crop silhouetted against the sky and rendered broadly without any defining details. The landscape has been delineated as a vast open space with gentle sloping rolling hills and then a flat land where the ragini is seated. Surrounding her are three trees with decorative foliage, which in their lush green leaves and blossoming white flowers and orange tinge at the end of the bunch of leaves bears correspondence to her sentiments of passion and love in her heart. The tree on her right has been interestingly devised by the artist. Through the artistic use of tree branches he has separated the foliage of the crown of the tree that has the shape of a triangle to the thicker and broader mass of the foliage below thus visually breaking the heavy mass of the tree and providing a sense of airiness. The tree is laden with white flowers providing an ambience of happiness. The white bird that the ragini gestures to is seated on a lower branch. The patches of tonal greens continue in the foreground with a stream in grey colour flowing by. The patch where she sits is rendered in rust orange suggesting symbolically the dry patch as a result of the fierce fire burning within her. The well thought out symbolism addresses the sentiments and emotions by alluding to elements of nature, thus creating a strong visual impact.
The whole composition is well organized spatially with judicious juxtapositions of greens with its varied tonalities, in which the vertical elements of the trees balance with the horizontal contours of the meadows. Equally interesting are the two stumps of tree trunks. The effect of perspective with low horizon, wide expanse of the sky and the placement of trees in relation to space show the strength of western painting tradition manifesting in Indian miniatures, which the artist has absorbed with accuracy.
KISHANGARH: KING IN CONVERSATION WITH THE PRIEST 1820-1850
The discovery of Kishangarh paintings is attributed to an Englishman by name Eric Dickinson, who was professor of English Literature at the Aligarh University and later in the Government College Lahore. In 1943, while on a visit to Mayo College Ajmer, along with an Educational Delegation, he was taken to the nearby state of Kishangarh to see the palace collection of paintings and it was here that he chanced upon the Kishangarh masterpieces. The earliest Kishangarh paintings date from the 18th century, though the kingdom itself was founded in 1609 by Kishan Singh the eighth son of Udai Singh of Jodhpur. The city and citadel of Kishangarh were built on the banks of Gundaloo Lake. Kishan Singh was only 26 when he carved out a state for himself. Like other young Rajput Princes of his time, he also sought military service with the Mughals. Jehangir mentions the young soldier in his memoirs.
A striking feature of Kishangarh style of painting is to be found in the facial features particularly in the portrayal of Radha and Krishna. The painting in the Sadhu collection has the unorthodox subject with the representation of three males’ figures each of different social status namely the king, priest and the chauribearer. In analyzing their features, the line of the forehead, in the profile recedes upwards and flows down towards an aquiline nose. The chin contour mildly thrusts out. The eye is drawn out, its corner tilting upwards to meet the terminating sweep of an obliquely arched eyebrow. The liberal use of pearl ornaments is evocative of early Rajasthani and Basohli works. The profile face is combined with a near frontal view of the torso.
The colours employed have the full strength and intensity particularly the use of crimson orange and the brilliant green with an unusual high skyline which, are the saliencies of the Kishangarh School. The fine old ivory tone of the face acquires greater luster with the contrast of the dark black hair. The colours have an elegant and royal subtlety particularly in the sartorial attire of the king with a yellow shawl covering him placed against the white dhoti
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