Important Notice

MEWAR, CIRCA 1720
Inscribed in Nagari, ''Geet Govind ro patra 175...", at the top and later inscribed, "Sakal bhuvan jamar tarun ne vahati na sareer jamatikarunen | 7 | sakhisa" and numbered 175 at the lower right corner on the reverse
Gouache on paper heightened with gold
Image: 8.75 x 15.75 in (22 x 40 cm)
Folio: 10 x 17 in (25.2 x 43.2 cm)

NON-EXPORTABLE REGISTERED ANTIQUITY

PROVENANCE
Property from a Distinguished Family Collection


Krishna in his many incarnations, has been a favourite among artists through the ages. He is interpreted in sculpture andpainting in his many forms ranging from the butter-loving child to the flute-playing charmer of humans and animals alike, and from the philosopher to the lover.

In this tripartite folio from the Gita Govinda, Krishna awaits Radha in a bower, and sends a message through her sakhi or confidante, who is then shown conversing with the lovelorn Radha. On the left of this narrative are three metaphoric images representing the cycle of life - the top panel shows a figure in a celestial boat, representing the heavens, the middle panel shows a couple conversing, representing the earth. The lower panel with an image of the wife of Kaliyamardan, the snake demon, represents the netherworld.

The folio possibly belongs to a widely dispersed series of Gita Govinda painted by several hands for Maharana Sangram Singh in 1714. Other folios from the same series are illustrated in RC Sharma, Kamal Giri and Anjan Chakravarty eds., Indian Art Treasures: Suresh Neotia Collection, Varanasi: Jnanapravaha and Mosaic Books, 2006, pp. 124 - 126 (illustrated) and B N Goswamy and Usha Bhatia eds., Painted Visions: The Goenka Collection of Indian Paintings, New Delhi: Lalit Kala Akademi, 1999, p. 134 (illustrated)

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