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拍品专文
The two paintings in the present lot belong to a Dasavatara, or Ten Avatars of Vishnu, series detailing the epics of Vishnu’s various forms. The paintings here depict Narasimha, Vishnu’s half-lion form, and Balarama and Krishna, playful human avatars. The works are exceptionally fine in detail, despite being of unusually small size for the period. The naturalism of the Pahari scenery and elegantly shaded and refined figures are reminiscent of the quality and style of work upheld in Kangra and Guler by the three generations of artists in Pandit Seu’s family workshop.
The white-skinned Balarama is depicted with his plow, which he uses to divert the course of the Yamuna River toward Vrindavan so he can cool down in the hot seasons. In attempting to demand the river to move, he summons the river goddess Yamuna herself, who, in this scene is drawn to Krishna’s performance on his flute. The rolling landscape is well articulated, with flowering plants sprouting in the foreground and the new branch of the Yamuna river emerging from behind a rocky outcrop. The composition of the present painting closely resembles that of an earlier Chamba painting dated to circa 1760 at the Brooklyn Museum of Art (acc. no. 36.250).
Narasimha is represented at his iconic moment— bursting from a pillar, disemboweling the demon-king Hiranyakashipu with his lion claws, wielding Vishnu’s mace, lotus, and disc with his remaining four blue-skinned arms. The king’s pious son, Prahlada and wife, Kayadhu, are in attendance as Vishnu destroys the wicked king and restores peace and tolerance on earth. The details on this folio are particularly refined, with clear strokes for every strand on Narasimha’s mane, every fold in Hiranyakashipu’s jama, and the damascene in his talwar.
The white-skinned Balarama is depicted with his plow, which he uses to divert the course of the Yamuna River toward Vrindavan so he can cool down in the hot seasons. In attempting to demand the river to move, he summons the river goddess Yamuna herself, who, in this scene is drawn to Krishna’s performance on his flute. The rolling landscape is well articulated, with flowering plants sprouting in the foreground and the new branch of the Yamuna river emerging from behind a rocky outcrop. The composition of the present painting closely resembles that of an earlier Chamba painting dated to circa 1760 at the Brooklyn Museum of Art (acc. no. 36.250).
Narasimha is represented at his iconic moment— bursting from a pillar, disemboweling the demon-king Hiranyakashipu with his lion claws, wielding Vishnu’s mace, lotus, and disc with his remaining four blue-skinned arms. The king’s pious son, Prahlada and wife, Kayadhu, are in attendance as Vishnu destroys the wicked king and restores peace and tolerance on earth. The details on this folio are particularly refined, with clear strokes for every strand on Narasimha’s mane, every fold in Hiranyakashipu’s jama, and the damascene in his talwar.