Page 113 - 2020 Sept 22 Himalayin and Indian Works of Art Sotheby's NYC Asia Week

9/2/2020 Indian, Himalayan & Southeast Asian Works of Art | Sotheby's

On the left we see the Kaurava army led by their charismatic commander and elder Bhishma seated in a chariot drawn by four
white horses. Next to him in a chariot drawn by four brown steeds is Duryodhana, the eldest Kaurava. Bhishma is wounded by a
volley of arrows unleashed at him by the warrior Shikhandi fighting on the side of the Pandavas. As the epic relates, Bhishma had
vowed that he would never raise arms against a woman. For this reason the Pandavas deputed Shikhandi, who had been born a
woman, to lead the assault against Bhishma. The great warrior is shown with his face turned away as Shikhandi’s arrows pierce his
body and eventually fell him. This episode occurs on the tenth day of the battle and marks a turning point in the fortunes of the
combating armies.

The Pandava army at right, is led by Krishna, serving as charioteer of Arjuna, with Bhima, Nakul, Sahadev, Satyaki and others in
their flanks. The principal figures are identified with inscriptions in black or gold ink either on their shields or above their heads,
typical of the works of Purkhu, one of the principal artists of the Kangra court under Raja Sansar Chand.
The painting is remarkable for its dynamic movement, individualized portraiture, crisp modeling, and the use of diagonals to
enhance the effect of action and confrontation. The order and geometry of the composition is offset by the flurry of weapons
strewn on the battlefield as the two sides are seen bearing down upon each other.

For other works from this series see E. Isacco and A. L. Dallapiccola, Krishna the Divine Lover: Myth and Legend through Indian Art,
London, 1982, fig. 91. A leaf from this series is also in the Government Museum Chandigarh and is referenced in J. Seyller and J.
Mittal, Pahari Drawings in the Jagdish and Kamla Mittal Museum of Indian Art, Hyderabad, 2013, p. 181.

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