Opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, Radha and the sakhi sitting on a pavilion terrace overlooking a lake and hills, within yellow bordered medallion and frame, with simplified floral and scrolling patterned spandrels, in black rules, with pink speckled borders, a line of black devanagari script above 'radhika ko prakas laghu mana' (Radhika’s manifested state of slight separation), folio number '198' in upper left corner, the reverse with 8ll. of verse in red and black devanagari script, with protective stamped and numbered flyleaf
Painting 10 x 6¹⁄₂in. (25.4 x 16.4cm.); folio 12⁷⁄₈ x 9¹⁄₈in. (32.8 x 23.1cm.)

Mandi Royal Collection

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Lot Essay

The reverse is inscribed with a couplet from the Rasikapriya of Keshav Das.
Sakhi: “Even the pretence of annoyance with the dear one is unworthy, and such indifference is indeed unimaginable.”
Radha: “Who is dear, if he is himself indifferent?”
Sakhi: “Only yesterday he was sending his messages of solicitude through me.”
Radha: “Why did you not come yesterday, if you profess goodness?”
Sakhi: “Today I offer to act as a truce-maker.”
Radha: “It seems you will only cause a breach, for I am disillusioned by the deeds of Krishna, who like a kanera bud is white within, though red without.”
Sakhi: “Is there a witness who can be asked to verify this accusation?”
Radha: “I would need no witness, for I have seen things myself.”
(M.S. Randhawa, Kangra Paintings on Love, New Delhi, 1962, p.91)

A brahmin from Bundelkhand, Keshav Das was the court poet of Raja Madhukar Shah of Orchha. He wrote his famous love poem Rasikapriya in 1591 AD. The Rasikapriya seems to have been a favourite with Kangra patrons. Several nayaka - nayika paintings from Kangra depicting Krishna and Radha, the ideal lovers, are based on and inscribed with the texts of the Rasikapriya. The style of painting and the colours employed by Kangra artists for these depictions of love and longing manage to convincingly convey the richness and sweetness inherent in the lyrical texts of Keshav Das. (M.S.Randhawa, Kangra Paintings on Love, New Delhi, 1962, pp.27-28).

There are fourteen comparable paintings from a Rasikapriya series in the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum. (W.G. Archer, Indian Paintings from the Punjab Hills, London, 1973, Vol. I (text), no.66 (i-xiv), pp.305-307; Vol. II (plates), pp.228-230). Other illustrations from this series have sold recently in these Rooms, 2 May 2019, lots 92, 94; 25 May 2017, lots 74-78. For other illustrations from the series in the present sale, see lots 9, 28, 30, 68 and 69.