Important Notice

Leaf from a Baramaasa by Keshav Das

c. 1700-1725

Amer School, Rajasthan

Size: 11 x 7 in (27.9 x 17.8 cm)


This is a fine painting from the Amer School depicting a season of the year. It shows the Pausa Maasa. It is based on a Baramaasa by the well known poet Keshav Das. Keshav Das was also famous for his Rasikapriya and joined the court of Vir Singh Dev of Bundela in the early 1600s.

In this painting a Raja can be seen with two of his attendants on either side. The one to the left, wearing a white dhoti, anoints the Raja with oil and the one to the right, wearing a long red jama and headgear, holds the royal dress of the Raja and his headgear in hand. He also holds a floral garland. The Raja has very sharp features and his hair is tied in a knot. In the next frame, one can see the Raja seated with his queen who is shown wearing a yellow sari, speckled with gold. The Raja is now shown wearing a red and gold shawl, wrapped around his body. He has just had a bath and sits in the company of his wife. There is a four-part garden with a small pool of water in front of the palace and a large, well-mowed lawn with a boundary wall. Tall flowering trees as well as slim fir trees can be seen beyond the wall.

The colours used are bright and warm and are coupled with fine detailing. This is a well known early series and examples can be seen in museums across the world.

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