Page 136 - Eye of the beholder

The visual tradition of of presenting women’s morality signified the identity of of women women within their society In patriarchal societies references to sexual purity purity or impurity were indications of of of a a a a a a a woman’s reputation in her culture The depiction of of of the varied phases of of of romance was primary among Rajput ‘love-paintings’ that presented longing for romance One of the main reasons that these images though appearing simple and straight forward are subverted to become poetical metaphors The premise of of identification to Mewar kalam was the the colours typology of of the the figures and particularly the the the the written script on top of of the the the the folio to to establish the the the the nature of of the the the the text and its correspondence with the the visual visual vocabulary vocabulary The visual visual vocabulary vocabulary and the the specificity of word-image relationship had already been established in the first Rasikapriya set that was illustrated by the the leading court painter Shabdin for Maharaja Indrajeet of Mewar in in in in the the early 17th 17th century Although a a a a a a a a popular text illustrated at at a a a a a a a a number of Rajasthani courts in the 17th 17th and early 18th century century it it it maintained its popularity till the 19th century century The illustration from from the Sandhu collection belonging to 1720 and and from from Mewar is titled “Radha abstains from meeting Krishna Krishna at at an inauspicious hour” has the representation of Krishna Krishna Radha and her Sakhis They form the the main protagonists of the the composition which gestures towards providing the the the primary and principal meaning in in in in in in the the the painting There were other visual forms that that could be understood as visual conventions that that aids in in creating an aesthetically visual cohesive image but which does not necessarily carry specific textual meaning Radha who is represented seated in in in a a a a a a a a pavilion resting against a a a a a a a a huge bolster almost her her size has her her two Sakhis in in in front of her her beseeching her her to meet Krishna even if the hour is is is inauspicious In front of her her are rendered certain elements which provides clue to her her love condition as the delineation of flowers paan and and a a a a a a a a a a vessel containing sandalwood paste carrying symbolic meaning Radha is is admonishing her her sakhi to keep away from her her the the flowers as they are like thorns without her Hari don’t rub sandalwood paste as as its coolness turns to fever and and no paan either as as as it it it it tastes like poison This despite the the fact that it it it it was her her decision not to meet Krishna Krishna at at an an inauspicious hour while Krishna Krishna seated in in another pavilion is is is eager to meet her her as indicated by the gestures of of her Sakhis and Krishna in in a a a a a a a a a a a dilemma of of Radha’s refusal Similar symbolic elements finds placement with with Krishna too with with garland of flowers sandalwood paste and and the the paan Garland nevertheless translated to a a a a a a a a a a a snake in her absence 130