A MINIATURE PAINTING OF THE MONTH OF BHADON FROM THE BARAMASA, NORTH INDIA, 18TH-19TH CENTURY

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A MINIATURE PAINTING OF THE MONTH OF BHADON FROM THE BARAMASA, NORTH INDIA, 18TH-19TH CENTURY Ink, gouache, and gold on paper. Finely painted in vibrant pigments to depict two richly attired royal lovers leaning from a balcony of their palace, accompanied by four female attendants, as they contemplate the monsoon rains descending from a dark, swirling sky and the turbulent waters of the river below. The male lover directs the gaze of his beloved towards a flock of cranes crossing the storm-laden sky. Inscriptions: To the front, above the illustration, and on the back with inscriptions in Arabic script containing glosses from Islamic religious prose. Dimensions: Size 29.3 x 16.2 cm The Baramasa, or The Twelve Months, is a poetic tradition rooted in the rich oral heritage of India, in which the months of the lunar calendar are associated with particular emotional states, seasonal conditions, and social activities. Among the texts most frequently illustrated by painters was Chapter 10 of the Kavipriya, or Poet’s Delight, composed in Braj Bhasha in 1601 by the poet Keshavdas (1555–1617), at the court of Orchha. The month of Bhadon (August–September) falls during the monsoon season, when rivers swell and persistent rains impede travel and warfare. It is therefore a time for men to remain at home and for lovers to stay together, sheltered from the storms. The monsoon also brings welcome relief from the summer heat, creating conditions traditionally celebrated as especially conducive to intimacy and the pleasures of love. Literature comparison: Compare a related Pahari painting depicting the same subject, dated c. 1790, 20.7 x 15.2 cm, in the Cleveland Museum of Art, accession number 1973.104. Compare a related Mandi painting depicting the same subject, dated circa 1810, 22.3 x 15.8 cm, in the British Museum, registration number 1920,0617,0.1. Compare a related Bundi miniature painting depicting the same subject, dated c. 1750, in the Norton Simon Museum, accession number P.2003.02.09. Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Sotheby’s London, 7 October 2015, lot 291 Price: GBP 15,000 or approx. EUR 25,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the related subject and composition. Note the different manner of painting.

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