Page 170 - Eye of the beholder

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The thematic content obviously points to a relaxed bath indexing to the nayak or the hero who may visit her. The semi nudity in miniature painting was becoming a norm in the latter part of the 18h and the beginning of nineteenth century, gesturing towards the patron taking more liberties in their patronage and the artists fulfilling their whims and fancies. The striking spatial interior advances the perspectival knowledge f the artist, but of course employed intuitively as they were not aware of scientific application. The expressions of the attendants create a happy ambience, connecting with the mood of the heroine who excitedly awaits her hero’s visit. The sky is dark grayish blue, invoking the idea of the night advancing and hence the elaborate reparation for the meeting of the lovers.
The artist in his engagement with line has displayed absolute confidence and facility in the structuring of the figures. The line flows in a mellifluous manner, contouring the beautiful nubile youthful maidens. Knowledge of shading to give volume is apparent in the upper part of the body of the heroine. Hair is represented thick and luxuriant, eyes are long and arrow with heavy lids, the eyebrows arched, sharp aquiline nose, pointed chin and full lips. The jewellery worn by the attendants is sparse. The composition in its layout and the human forms with their gestures and postures is adequately sophisticated, which lends the painting an aura of beauty and elegance.
Belonging to Jaipur and in Jaipur kalam perhaps is the painting titled “Krishna in a Landscape”. The vegetation is sparse with just one clump of trees in the right background and two coconut trees to the left at the same level as the trees. A Bundi or Kota miniature would have had lush vegetation with thick forest and pools of water with birds, which is obviously lacking here. The colours particularly the green delineated in the hills in the background has lost its freshness and appears artificial. The high horizon has the representation of the blue sky with white cottony clouds.
In the foreground is Krishna walking the horse held by its reign. The countenance of Krishna is rendered with large almond shaped beautiful eyes, an arched elegant eye brows, the sectarian Vaishnavite ‘V’ mark on his forehead, sharp nose and rounded chin with full crimson lips. There is a halo behind his head in creamy milk tone with a rim of green and golden rays. Holding a sword in his right hand and the reigns in his left, as he walks he turns to his left as though keeping a watch on the horse. Krishna’s skin tone also has paled into a light blue; he wears a lower garment of sunshine yellow with a very fine print in red that appears like the bandhini or tie dye. Over this is a white garment with thin borders in gold and tied in the middle of the waist as the rest of the garment falls elegantly in front finished with a gold broad border. He has another garment that goes under both his arms and then flows elegantly behind and painted in red with gold border that contains floral print in white. His feet have the henna and wears ornamental decorative pearl anklets as it is painted white. Around his neck is the white floral garland and strands of heavy pearls each with a pendant containing rubies and emeralds. The gold crown on his head is equally ornamental inlaid with rubies and pearl strands hanging at the back from the crown. His earrings are also fanciful and have the design of the jhumka and held in place by the pearl strand that goes over and behind his ears to keep the earring in place on the lobe of the ear. His arm is equally bejeweled with charming gold bangles and wristbands with armlets in the upper part.
In the painting, more than Krishna who is the main protagonist, the attention is garnered by the horse quite unique in its representation as the artist has taken delight in showing it with green wings, akin to the mythical Pegasus.