Bonhams 1793 : A pichhawai of the worship of Dvarkadhishji by the gopis Kishangarh, 2nd half of the 19th century

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18 Mar 2013 13:00 EDT New York
Indian, Himalayan & Southeast Asian Art
Back to auction 20903

A pichhawai of the worship of Dvarkadhishji by the gopis

Kishangarh, 2nd half of the 19th century
Opaque watercolor on canvas; within a lush green forest and the cusped golden pavilion, the four-armed Vishnu is lavishly adorned with pearl necklaces and a lotus bud wreath. He is flanked by four gopis balancing golden matka (curd pots) and making offerings of lotuses. Eight corresponding European style colored glass vases issuing elaborate floral displays are set at the edge of the marble platform. The foreground is occupied by cows adorned with peacock feathers, red markings, and bells attended to by gopas, and a river below. Flying in animal-headed golden chariots above are the various gods sprinkling flowers on the figures below.
Image: 131 1/8 x 100 3/4 in. (333 x 256 cm)

Estimate:

US$ 40,000 - 60,000
£26,000 - 38,000
€30,000 - 45,000

Footnotes

A picchawai is a large-scale temple hanging made for temporary use in a Pushti Marg shrine. The Pushti Marg (Path of Grace) is a Hindu sect that focuses on the worship of Krishna. The present lot is an exceptional example on a number of fronts, including the quality of line and the exceptionally large size. However, the most interesting aspect is the placement Dvarkadhishji in the context of dana lila. Dvarkadhishji is the four-armed representation of Vishnu and is worshiped in Kankroli. Examples of large format pichhawai of this form of the deity are very rare. It is most likely that the pichhawai was made for a private shrine of a Dwarkadhishji devotee. Also of note is the inclusion of eight colored glass vases set on the terrace before each gopi.

Compare with another large format pichhawai attributed to Kishangarh in the Tapi Collection, New Delhi, see Kalyan Krishna and Kay Talwar, In Adoration of Krishna: Pichhwais of Shrinathji Tapi Collection, Garden Silk Mills, 2007, no. 6. Both works compare favorably in the distinctive treatment of the eyes, the curling locks of hair down the jawline of the gopas, the decoration
of the cows and the pinched waists and curving backs of the gopis. Another notable element of comparison is the treatment of the border composed of meandering leafy vines and multi-colored flowers. Furthermore, the white open terrace before the gopis is a convention found in Kishangarh painting, see M.S. Randhawa, Kishangarh Painting, Bombay, 1980, pl. IV, but does not appear to be known in Nathdwara.

Provenance:
Private Collection, Germany
Acquired by the present owner's father in 1960s