Footnotes

Provenance
Anrad Gallery, London.

Rajeev Kumar's suite of seven Kangra Pahari paintings celebrates the festival of Holi through the lyrical idiom of the eighteenth-century Kangra school. Drawing upon its hallmark qualities—delicate linework, soft yet radiant colour, and an emphasis on romance and nature—Kumar reimagines the joyous rituals of Holi in a classical mode.

Each painting stages episodes of festivity: figures playing with colour, companions gathered in gardens, and Krishna and Radha at the heart of the celebration. The series embodies both the spiritual and playful aspects of Holi, fusing devotion with sensuous delight. By working within the Pahari miniature tradition, Kumar not only honours its legacy but also revitalises its themes for contemporary appreciation, where cultural memory and aesthetic refinement meet.

The Pahari school of miniature painting developed in the mid 18th century when artists from the declining Mughal courts sought patronage from the local chiefs of the Punjab hills. Several schools such as Garhwal, Chamba and Bisholi emerged distinguished by stylistic variations. The Kangra developed under the patronage of Raja Govardhan Chand of Haripur Guler, presently in the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh.

Inspired by the rolling green hills of the Dhauladhar range of the lower Himalayas, the wave-like terraced paddy fields and rivulets fed by the melting snow, the artists moved from painting portraits of royalty, hunting and courtly scenes to themes drawn from Bhakti literature. They drew inspiration from various texts, most notably from the Geet Govind written by the poet Jayadev in the 12th century. All the Pahari schools developed this new spirit of spiritual love for the personal God, or bhakti, the highest of which was believed to be shared by Radha and Krishna. The sentiments are expressed visually in a lyrical style full of rhythm and grace and the paintings are typified by a delicacy of line, vibrant colours and minute decorative details. The mood of love - or longing - is evoked through the posture and position of the protagonist and the intensity enhanced by the dense green foliage all around.

The arrival of Spring and the celebration of Holi are closely tied together as it celebrates the end of a long winter and the renewal of hope. We also celebrate the birth of Krishna, or a new dawn with the advent of longer days and warmer weather. The paintings of the Geet Govind depict the poetry of the pangs of separation of the beloved from her lover - the journey of a devotee towards union with the Lord of their heart.