Important Notice

Bikaner, c. 1720
Opaque watercolour on paper
8 x 5.2 in (20.3 x 13.2 cm)

REGISTERED ANTIQUITY-NON-EXPORTABLE

Provenance: Property of a Gentleman, Mumbai


In the later half of the 17th Century, several accomplished Mughal artists migrated to the Bikaner court, where they were given patronage by the kings. They brought in a new style of painting that bore certain similarities with Mughal and Deccani miniature paintings. The Bikaner paintings retained a flatness in perspective which characterised the miniatures they borrowed from.

This 18th century painting depicts Vishnu as a boar, or Varaha. Of Vishnu's dashavatar (ten avatars) , Varaha is his third incarnation. When the demon Hiranyakashipu stole the Earth and hid her deep in the ocean, Vishnu assumed the form of a boar to defeat the demon and save Earth. Here, Vishnu is rendered in a triumphant moment. He holds up the earth on his tusks, and under his feet lies a dismembered Hiranyakashipu. In one hand, he holds the demon's decapitated head, and in the other, he holds a sword. His other hands hold the discus and lotus - his attributes. Two devotees are seen standing to the right offering prayers to their saviour. Soothing hues have been used for the background, and against it, the garb of Varaha, Hiranyakashipu and the devotees appear striking.

An interesting aspect of the painting is the painter's manipulation of properties, space and perspective. It is evident that the two devotees stand in a body of water: their feet disappear in the silver ocean, hinting at this. Yet, Hiranyakashipu's body appears to "lie" on the surface, along with his dismembered arms and mace. Had they disappeared into the ocean, the painting might not have been as impactful - Vishnu is not only a saviour here, but the ultimate power. This deliberate manipulation allowed artists to show certain details that would have been lost in a more realistic rendering.

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