Page 85 - 2021 April 1, ART OF THE ISLAMIC AND Indian Worlds Including Oriental Rugs, Christie's London

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YASHODA AND THE BUTTER THIEVES KRISHNA WITH THE GOPIS
KANGRA, PUNJAB HILLS, NORTH INDIA, CIRCA 1820 KANGRA, PUNJAB HILLS, NORTH INDIA, CIRCA 1810
Opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, within plain blue rules and Opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, the reverse plain with later
speckled pink margins, the reverse plain with later owners' inscriptions owner's inscriptions, overall good condition
Painting 6√ x 4√in. (17.5 x 12.3cm.); folio 10¿ x 7√in. (25.5 x 19.9cm.) 6 x 4¬in. (15.2 x 11.8cm.)
£4,000-6,000 US$5,600-8,400 £8,000-12,000 US$12,000-17,000
€4,700-6,900 €9,300-14,000
This charming painting displays a variant on the story of Krishna’s childish In this lyrical painting, Krishna stands playing his flute surrounded by adoring
pranks with his brother Balarama. One of Krishna’s known pranks was to gopis, their admiration emphasised by the flourishing blossoms framing
have Balarama distract his foster-mother Yashoda allowing him to steal Krishna. A comparable scene was sold in these Rooms, 25 May 2017, lot 56A
butter from the pot she was churning. In our painting, the roles are reversed and another, slightly earlier, example is in the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
and the statuesque Yashoda is rather distracted by Nanda presenting (inv.no. 2006.10).
Krishna towards her. While she gazes adoringly at Krishna, her hand gently
caressing his chin, Balarama, seemingly encouraged by another young boy,
mischievously seizes the opportunity to dip his hand in the pot of butter.

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