Page 97 - ART OF THE ISLAMIC AND INDIAN WORLDS Carpets, Ceramics Objects, Christie's London Oct..27, 2022

AN ILLUSTRATION FROM THE 'LARGE' GULER-BASOHLI BHAGAVATA PURANA SERIES INSCRIPTIONS:
Numbered '45' in lower margin
77
GARGA PERFORMS THE NAMING CEREMONY FOR KRISHNA The painting comes from a large series which W.G. Archer refers to as
AND BALARAMA the ‘Large’ Guler-Basohli Bhagavata Purana series or the ‘Fifth’ Basohli
ATTRIBUTED TO FATTU AND WORKSHOP, PAHARI HILLS, NORTH Bhagavata Purana of 1760-65 (W.G. Archer, Indian Paintings from the Punjab
INDIA, CIRCA 1765
Hills, vol.I, London, 1973, pp.49-51). In her discussion of four paintings from
An illustration to the Bhagavata Purana, opaque pigments heightened with the same set in the Chester Beatty Library, Linda York Leach explains; “[They
gold and silver on paper, set within black borders and red margins with white demonstrate] changes that occurred in traditional hill painting during the 18 th 78
rules, the reverse plain, with attached flyleaf century. [It] is one of the richest sources of information for our knowledge A PRINCE AND HIS FAVOURITE LADY ENJOY MUSIC ON A COLD Looking at this painting we really feel the cold of the palace in winter with
Painting 9º x 13qin. (23.7 x 34.5cm.); folio 11 x 15¿in. (28 x 38.5cm.)
of Pahari paintings” (L.Y. Leach, Mughal and Other Indian Paintings from NIGHT snow-capped mountain peaks protruding behind it. At the centre of our focus
£30,000-50,000 US$35,000-57,000 the Chester Beatty Library, vol.II, 1995, p.1048). The composition of the ATTRIBUTED TO GURSAHAI, GULER, NORTH INDIA, CIRCA 1815 the prince and his lady are cosily wrapped in a thick blanket, the attendants
€35,000-57,000 illustrations and style of painting exhibit a strong dependence and awareness Opaque pigments on paper, within a blue border and a plain margin, inscribed also wearing their heavy outer garments and, most importantly, numerous
of the work of Manaku and Nainsukh, sons of Pandit Seu, and the most above in red with the number '13', the reverse plain fires burning away. Interestingly it appears the scene was left unfinished with
PROVENANCE: renowned Pahari artists of this period. Painting 8q x 12æin. (21.5 x 32.4cm.); folio 11æ x 16in. (29.8 x 40.8cm.) the hookahs and textiles left conspicuously plain and presumably another fire
Collection of Mrs F.K. Smith £40,000-60,000 US$46,000-69,000 intended to be painted in the smaller pavilion to the right.
Anon. sale, Sotheby’s, London, 1 February 1960, lot 3 It is noted by B.N. Goswamy and Eberhard Fischer that the series is often €46,000-68,000
attributed to Manaku’s son Fattu who was taught by his father. Fattu is The painter Gursahai was the son of Ranjha and second generation after
EXHIBITED:
Der Blaue Gott in indischen Miniaturen, Koblenz, Mittelrhein Museum, 26 thought to have lived with his uncle Nainsukh in Basohli for some time and PROVENANCE: Nainsukh. Of this generation, his name is amongst the more easily found
July-5 October 2014 would have, therefore, also incorporated artistic elements from the latter. Svetoslav Nikolaevich Roerich Collection from contemporary records. Probably trained in Guler and Kangra, he worked
It is possible that one of Nainsukh’s sons was also involved in the series predominantly in the latter but spent periods of time in Basohli. Stylistically
LITERATURE: (Goswamy (ed.)., et al., Masters of Indian Painting, New Delhi, 2011, p.689). LITERATURE: he followed after his father with smaller figures and busier compositions,
V. Sharma, Kangra ki citramkan parampara, Chamba, 2010, p. 71.L.V. S. Paul, 'Gursahai: A Guler Painter at Basohli', in V.C. Ohri, and R. Craven,
Habighorst, Der blaue Gott in indischen Miniaturen, Mittelrhein Museum, Although difficult to firmly attribute the series to any one painter from the (eds.), Painters of the Pahari Schools, Marg Publications, Bombay, 1998, fig. 7 although favouring the cropping of figures and faces by architectural
Koblenz, 2014, no. 1 first generation after Manaku and Nainsukh, it is evident that a ‘family L.V. Habighorst, L. Reichart, P.A. and V. Sharma, Love for Pleasure: Betel, ornament or the painting border itself (B.N. Goswamy and E. Fischer, Pahari
B.N. Goswamy, 'Manaku of Guler', Artibus Asiae Supplementum, 52, Museum style’ can be recognised. Basohli was originally suggested as the place of Tobacco, Wine and Drugs in Indian Miniatures, Ragaputra Edition, Koblenz, Masters, Zurich, 1992). Gursahai was seemingly the principal artist of Raja
Rietberg, Zurich, 2017, fig. 41, p. 31 (detail) production but it now seems more appropriate to link the series to a group 2007. Published in German as Genuss und Rausch. Betel, Tabak, Wein und Bhup Singh of Kangra (r.1790-1826), who is most likely the model for our
J.P. Losty, Rajput Paintings from the Ludwig Habighorst Collection, Francesca of painters than to a specific place in the Pahari region. For a list of known Rauschdrogen in indischen Miniaturen, Ragaputra Edition, Koblenz, 2007, fig. prince. We can match the likeness to many earlier portraits of the Raja who
Galloway, 2019, no. 1 series and individual works attributed to this remarkable group of paintings, 42. was known for filling his time with women including, but not limited to, his
V. Sharma, Painting in the Kangra Valley, Delhi, 2020, pl.113 see Goswamy, op. cit., pp.689-94. V. Sharma, Kangra ki citramkan parampara, Chamba, 2010, p. 34 twelve Ranis (W.G. Archer, Indian Paintings from the Punjab Hills, London,
J.P. Losty, Paintings for the Pahari Rajas, Francesca Galloway, London, 2020, 1973, Guler, 57-59, 62). Another painting of Bhup Singh signed by Gursahai
no. 23
For more information on this lot visit christies.com V. Sharma, Painting in the Kangra Valley, Delhi, 2020, pl. 29 is in the Government Museum in Chandigarh.

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fee are also payable if the lot has a tax or λ symbol. Check Section D of the Conditions of Sale at the back of this catalogue.