A PAHARI MINIATURE PAINTING FROM A BHAGAVATA PURANA SERIES DEPICTING KRISHNA PREPARING FOR THE
A PAHARI MINIATURE PAINTING FROM A BHAGAVATA PURANA SERIES DEPICTING KRISHNA PREPARING FOR THE ABDUCTION OF RUKMINI, 18TH-EARLY 19TH CENTURY
Northern India, Punjab Hills, early 19th century. Ink, gouache, and gold on paper. Finely painted, depicting three continuous narrative scenes, including a long-bearded Brahmin delivering a message to Krishna, distinguished by his blue complexion and golden attire. To the left, Krishna stands with his brother Balarama, identifiable by his pale skin and blue garments, while to the right the two royal brothers stand before the beloved Rukmini.
Provenance: Hans Trojanski, Düsseldorf, Germany. A private collection in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, acquired from the above and thence by descent. The reverse with an old label from Hans Trojanski with a short typewritten description of the present lot, dating it to the 18th century.
Hans Trojanski (1896-1975) was a distinguished Düsseldorf art dealer and bookseller who founded the Buch- und Kunstkabinett Hans Trojanski in 1924. Initially specializing in modern graphic art, he later developed a broad exhibition program encompassing European painting, works on paper, and Japanese woodblock prints. After his premises were destroyed in an air raid in 1943, Trojanski collaborated with the dealer Alex Vömel before reopening his gallery at its former address in 1951.
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, little soiling, light rubbing to gilding and pigments, the vibrant colors well preserved.
Dimensions: Image size 19.8 x 29.1 cm, Size incl. frame 37.2 x 47.4 cm
Mounted and framed behind glass. (2)
The present scene illustrates an episode from Book 10, chapters 52–53 of the Bhagavata Purana, which recounts the events leading to the abduction and marriage of Rukmini and Krishna. Rukmini, princess of Vidarbha and daughter of King Bhishmaka, wishes to marry Krishna, although her brother Rukmi has arranged her marriage to Shishupala, king of Chedi and an enemy of Krishna. Determined to avoid this union, Rukmini secretly sends a Brahmin messenger to Krishna with a letter declaring her devotion and asking him to take her away before the wedding.
The painting unfolds these events through three episodes arranged as a continuous narrative. At the center, Krishna receives the message of Rukmini from the Brahmin whom she has entrusted with its delivery. To the left, Krishna appears with his brother Balarama as they prepare to respond to the request of Rukmini and depart for Vidarbha. The horses, attendants, weapons, and other objects assembled in the palace courtyard emphasize the preparations for the journey. In the scene at right, Krishna and Balarama finally encounter Rukmini, anticipating the culmination of the abduction and the subsequent marriage of Rukmini and Krishna.
The Bhagavata Purana is one of the most important sacred texts of the Hindu tradition and holds particular significance within Vaishnavism, a devotional tradition centered on Vishnu and his incarnations. Probably composed in Sanskrit between the ninth and tenth centuries, while incorporating earlier traditions and narrative material, it belongs to the genre of the Puranas, extensive compilations that combine mythology, genealogy, cosmology, religious doctrine, and exemplary narratives. The text is divided into twelve books, or skandhas, and gives a central place to bhakti, or devotional worship, as a means of approaching the divine. Book 10, the best-known section of the work, presents an extensive account of the life of Krishna, from his birth and childhood among the pastoral communities of Braj to his later exploits, and became one of the principal literary sources for the iconography of Krishna in Indian painting.
Literature comparison:
Compare a related miniature painting depicting Rukmini entrusting her message for Krishna to a Brahmin, Kangra, dated c. 1830, 22.2 x 32.1 cm, in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), accession no. M.85.283.8. Compare a related Uttarakhand painting of Krishna reading the message from Rukmini, dated ca. 1795, 19.7 x 29.5 cm, in the San Diego Museum of Art, accession number 1990.1322.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Bonhams London, 21 April 2015, lot 189
Price: GBP 23,750 or approx.
EUR 39,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: An illustration to a Krishna Sudama series: Sudama in rags arrives in Dwarka; then seated in a palace chamber with Krishna, Balarama and Rukmini, Kangra or perhaps Mandi, circa 1830-40
Expert remark: Compare the related subject and manner of painting. Note the size (29.8 x 39.5 cm).
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30%
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Time, Location
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A PAHARI MINIATURE PAINTING FROM A BHAGAVATA PURANA SERIES DEPICTING KRISHNA PREPARING FOR THE ABDUCTION OF RUKMINI, 18TH-EARLY 19TH CENTURY
Northern India, Punjab Hills, early 19th century. Ink, gouache, and gold on paper. Finely painted, depicting three continuous narrative scenes, including a long-bearded Brahmin delivering a message to Krishna, distinguished by his blue complexion and golden attire. To the left, Krishna stands with his brother Balarama, identifiable by his pale skin and blue garments, while to the right the two royal brothers stand before the beloved Rukmini.
Provenance: Hans Trojanski, Düsseldorf, Germany. A private collection in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, acquired from the above and thence by descent. The reverse with an old label from Hans Trojanski with a short typewritten description of the present lot, dating it to the 18th century.
Hans Trojanski (1896-1975) was a distinguished Düsseldorf art dealer and bookseller who founded the Buch- und Kunstkabinett Hans Trojanski in 1924. Initially specializing in modern graphic art, he later developed a broad exhibition program encompassing European painting, works on paper, and Japanese woodblock prints. After his premises were destroyed in an air raid in 1943, Trojanski collaborated with the dealer Alex Vömel before reopening his gallery at its former address in 1951.
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, little soiling, light rubbing to gilding and pigments, the vibrant colors well preserved.
Dimensions: Image size 19.8 x 29.1 cm, Size incl. frame 37.2 x 47.4 cm
Mounted and framed behind glass. (2)
The present scene illustrates an episode from Book 10, chapters 52–53 of the Bhagavata Purana, which recounts the events leading to the abduction and marriage of Rukmini and Krishna. Rukmini, princess of Vidarbha and daughter of King Bhishmaka, wishes to marry Krishna, although her brother Rukmi has arranged her marriage to Shishupala, king of Chedi and an enemy of Krishna. Determined to avoid this union, Rukmini secretly sends a Brahmin messenger to Krishna with a letter declaring her devotion and asking him to take her away before the wedding.
The painting unfolds these events through three episodes arranged as a continuous narrative. At the center, Krishna receives the message of Rukmini from the Brahmin whom she has entrusted with its delivery. To the left, Krishna appears with his brother Balarama as they prepare to respond to the request of Rukmini and depart for Vidarbha. The horses, attendants, weapons, and other objects assembled in the palace courtyard emphasize the preparations for the journey. In the scene at right, Krishna and Balarama finally encounter Rukmini, anticipating the culmination of the abduction and the subsequent marriage of Rukmini and Krishna.
The Bhagavata Purana is one of the most important sacred texts of the Hindu tradition and holds particular significance within Vaishnavism, a devotional tradition centered on Vishnu and his incarnations. Probably composed in Sanskrit between the ninth and tenth centuries, while incorporating earlier traditions and narrative material, it belongs to the genre of the Puranas, extensive compilations that combine mythology, genealogy, cosmology, religious doctrine, and exemplary narratives. The text is divided into twelve books, or skandhas, and gives a central place to bhakti, or devotional worship, as a means of approaching the divine. Book 10, the best-known section of the work, presents an extensive account of the life of Krishna, from his birth and childhood among the pastoral communities of Braj to his later exploits, and became one of the principal literary sources for the iconography of Krishna in Indian painting.
Literature comparison:
Compare a related miniature painting depicting Rukmini entrusting her message for Krishna to a Brahmin, Kangra, dated c. 1830, 22.2 x 32.1 cm, in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), accession no. M.85.283.8. Compare a related Uttarakhand painting of Krishna reading the message from Rukmini, dated ca. 1795, 19.7 x 29.5 cm, in the San Diego Museum of Art, accession number 1990.1322.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Bonhams London, 21 April 2015, lot 189
Price: GBP 23,750 or approx.
EUR 39,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: An illustration to a Krishna Sudama series: Sudama in rags arrives in Dwarka; then seated in a palace chamber with Krishna, Balarama and Rukmini, Kangra or perhaps Mandi, circa 1830-40
Expert remark: Compare the related subject and manner of painting. Note the size (29.8 x 39.5 cm).
Buyer's Premium
30%
Sale price
Estimate
Time, Location
Auction House
