Abashed Radha Arrives to Meet Krishna

$155
Item Code: HE65
Specifications:
Watercolor on Paper
Dimensions 7.2" X 9.5"
Handmade
Handmade
Free delivery
Free delivery
Fully insured
Fully insured
100% Made in India
100% Made in India
Fair trade
Fair trade
This lively miniature is based on a verse from the eleventh Canto of Gita Govinda, a twelfth century Sanskrit poem by Jaideva singing of the love of Radha and Krishna. The Gita Govinda is a milestone not only in Vaishnava literature but also in Vaishnava Bhakti. It completely revolutionised the concept of Vaishnava Bhakti from one of the ritual worship to that of the devotional love. This path of worship does not bar emotions or sensuousness but rather discovers in them the subtlest means to realise Him. In Jaideva's path, love sublimates emotions and sensuousness into sublime spiritualism. Allegorically, Radha, self, pines to unite with Krishna, Supreme Being, and she is able to accomplish it in her love for him.

As the aforementioned verse has it, Krishna, with a bed of Ashoka leaves laid, awaits Radha in a bower. Radha too is burning with heat of passion to meet Krishna but is reluctant to go to him. A sakhi encourages her and brings her to him, as also a garland of fresh flowers to lay upon Krishna's neck, but the abashed Radha is still hesitant. The verse represents the sakhi persuading her with words : "Enter sweet Radha, the bower of Madhava; seek delight, O thou, whose bosom laughs with the foretaste of happiness. Enter, sweet Radha, the bower graced with a bed of Ashoka leaves; seek delight, O thou, whose garland leaps with joy on thy breast. Enter, sweet Radha, the bower illumined with gay blossoms; seek delight, O thou, whose limbs far excel them in softness."

The painting illustrates the verse with a little deviation. The Gita Govinda is primarily a pastoral poem with its scenes laid in natural setting. Here in the painting, as also in the 1730 Basohli Gita Govinda illustrations by one of the best known Pahari painters, Manaku, on which this folio is based, the bower has been substituted by a wooden pavilion, and the bed of Ashoka leaves by a regular bed with bolster. Basohli had a long tradition of Nayika-bhed paintings based on Bhanudatta's Rasamanjari, which used Krishna as their hero and a decorated pillared wooden pavilion as their setting. The same is repeated in Basohli's Ragamala paintings. Obviously, when in 1730, the Gita Govinda paintings were rendered, not only the iconographic perception but also the setting, usually laid in or around a wooden pavilion, had been largely crystallised. Around its main figures, Basohli preferred a monochromic plain background and in remote corners isolated trees with regularly shaped colourful foliage. This miniature follows the same verbatim.

This folio portrays Krishna leaning motionless against the pavilion's column, perhaps rendered so by Radha's infatuating beauty. Amazement defines not only the demeanour of his face but also his gesture and the entire being. It as powerfully depicts Radha's hesitation. Her feet and bosom make a forward thrust but the eyes and face turn backward. As denotes the verse, the garland, necklaces, pendant and even the locks of her hair leap on her breast with joy. The sakhi, handing Radha the garland of white flowers to offer it to Krishna, has coyness in her eyes but encouraging gesture for Radha. The artist has carefully contrasted Radha's well-embroidered bright red and yellow lehenga and chunari with dull grey and green costume of sakhi. Instead of his usual pitambara, yellow costume, Krishna is in bright orange that ignited the heat of passion. His richly bejewelled crown has been modeled as peacock feather and has in characteristic Basohli style lotuses on all its spiral apexes. Large eyes, modeled as lotus-buds, slanting foreheads, sharp features and voluminous anatomy are other features of the 1730 Basohli Gita Govinda paintings that characterise this folio.

This description by Prof. P.C. Jain and Dr. Daljeet. Prof. Jain specializes on the aesthetics of literature and is the author of numerous books on Indian art and culture. Dr. Daljeet is the curator of the Miniature Painting Gallery, National Museum, New Delhi. They have both collaborated together on a number of books.


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