The Tehri Garhwal Royal Collection.

Collection of Carter Burden (1941-96).

Sotheby's New York, 27th March 1991, lot 58.

M.S. Randhawa, Kangra Paintings of the Gita Govinda, New Delhi, 1963, fig. 25 (detail).

This lyrical illustration is from one of the best-known and most aesthetically harmonious series in Indian painting - the Gita Govinda, produced about 1780 by an artist of 'the first generation aft🎉er Nainsukh'.

The Gita Govinda (Song of the Dark Lord) composed by the 12th century poet Jayadeva, is an evocative description of the courtship and love between Krishna and Radha. Composed as a homage to Krishna, the poem serves as an allegory for the soul's longing to unite with the Divine, yet the lyrical beauty and tactile eroticism of its verse also stimulates the senses. The poem examines all the nuances of love in great detail; unrestrained longing, awakened hope, disappointment, pride and anger against the unfaithful one and finally reconciliation and climactic passion, taking the reader, "... through the tempestuous process of emotional – and spiritual struggle – for grace." (Mason 2001, p. 192). Through the interplay of longing and fulfillment, the poet celebrates the ultimate spiritual truth—love as the sole path to the union of Atman and Paramatman, the seeker and the divine. In this garland of emotions, love in union (samyoga) and love in separation (viyoga) aꩵre not🍌 mere earthly passions but metaphysical experiences laden with profound significance.

In Pahari Masters: Court Painters of Northern India, Artibus Asiae, Zurich, 1992, pp. 130-137, B. N. Goswamy and Eberhard Fischer attribute this great series, originally comprising over 140 paintings, to a 'master of the first generation after Nainsukh'. Archer considered the series to be by Sansar Chand's favourite artist Kushala (son of Manaku), assisted by his cousin Gaudhu (son of Nainsukh), both descendants of the master artist Pandit Seu (Archer 1973, vol.I, p.292). This series was possibly painted in anticipation of Sansar Chand's marriage in 1781 to the daughter of Kishan Singh of Suket. Archer pointed out that, in order that the subjects of the Gita Govinda may be put in a context familiar to the royal couple, the scenes of Radha and Krishna were set a𒆙mongst scenery typical of the region.

In the sixth act of Gita Govinda, Jayadeva evokes the tender anguish of lata-agraha, the moment of fervent yearning amidst the vine grove. Here, love unfolds as both a mortal ache and a spiri🐷tual pursuit, where separation (viyoga) becomes the crucible through which devotion is tested and refined. Radha, overcome by t൲he torment of longing, is rendered too frail to seek Krishna herself. Recognizing her despair, the Sakhi—her confidante and messenger—leaves her nestled within a bower of creeping vines and hastens to Krishna, carrying the weight of Radha’s silent plea.

The present painting exquisitely visualizes this poignant moment. Radha sits alone, veiled in the darkness of a dense grove, her figure almost merging with the shadows of longing. At the horizon, Krishna is depicted in pensive solitude, his luminous blue form contrasting against the melancholic dusk. The Sakhi, standing between them, plays the role of the divine mediator, a spiritual guide (guru) who bridges the aching divide between Atman (Radha) and Paramatman (Krishna). Through her intervention, love seeks its fulfillment, echoing the deeper Vaishnavite principle that devotion alone unites the soul with the Sup൩reme.

Yet, Jayadeva’s refrain introduces another layer of intrigue. When the Sakhi did not return in time, Radha, restle༺ss and impatient, devised a clever ruse. She sent forth another envoy, this time a maiden cloaked in the guise of a male pilgrim, who approached Krishna under the soft veil of twilight. This disguised emissary subtly conveyed Radha’s longing, indirectly revealing the secret tryst she so desperately sought. The interplay of disguise and devotion, l🥃onging and concealment, reflects the intricate dance of love and divine pursuit—a theme that resonates deeply in the visual composition of the painting.

Through its delicate use of space and contrast, the artist imbues the scene with quiet intensity, mirroring the psycholog🐻ical and spiritual depths of Jayadeva’s poetry. The darkness of the grove, the distant glow of Krishna’s presence, and the mediating figure of the Sakhi collectively evoke the eternal theme of love’s journey—a path strewn with separation and longing, yet destined for divine union.

Other paintings from the series are preserved in the great museum collections of the world, including the Rietberg Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Several have been sold at Sotheby's, including one from the collection of Gloria Katz and Willard Huyck, sold in these rooms, 22nd March, 2002, lot 52, ಌand ano𒁃ther sold 24th March 2011, lot 91, and one from the collection of Stuart Carey-Welsh sold in our London rooms, 31st May 2011, lot 66. See also two paintings from the series sold recently at Pundole's, Mumbai, 21st November 2024, lots 5 and 6, for unprecedented prices.

For other puꦑblished works in this series see: ꩲ 

W.G. Archer, ‘Kangra’, Indian Paintings from the Punjab Hills: A Survey and History of Pahari Miniature Painting, London, 1973,  pl. 33 (i-vii). 

M. Chandra, Pahari Paintings from the Gita Govinda, 1971. 

Eberhard Fischer, ‘Gitagovinda - Das Lied vom Hirten und seine Illustrationen aus der Werkstatt des Nainsukh von Guler’, Liebeskunst: Liebeslust aund Liebesleid in der Weltkunst, Zurich, 2002, pp. 163-177.

Eberhard Fischer and B.N. Goswamy, Paintings by Nainsukh of Guler, Zurich, 1999, pp. 10-12, 34-43. 

Annapurna Garimella, edited by V. Dehejia, ‘My Heart Values his Vulgar Ways. A Handmaid's tale: Sakhis, Love, Devotion and Poetry in Rajput Painting’, Love in Asian Art and Culture, New York, 1998, figs. 1, 3-5, 7. 

B.N. Goswamy, ‘Pahari Painting: The Family as the Basis of Style’, Marg A Magazine of Architecture & Art, vol. 21, no. 4, Mumbai, 1968ꦦ, pp. 17-62, 48f, pls. 37 & 38.  

B. N. Goswamy and Eberhard Fischer, Pahari Masters: Court Painters of Northern India, Artibus Asiae, Zurich, 1992, pp. 130-137. 

B.N. Goswamy and Eberhard Fischer, ‘The First Generation after Manaku and Nainsukh of Guler’, Masters of Indian Painting II: 1650 – 1900, New Delhi, 2011, figs. 4–8. 

Karl Khandalavala, Pahari Miniature Painting, Mumbai, 1958, pl. E, figs. 243-244.  

Karl Khandalavala, Pahari Miniature Paintings in the N.C. Mehta Collection, Ahmedabad,&nbsᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚꦓ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚp;1958, pl. H, figs. 15 & 16. 

Darielle Mason, Intimate Worlds, Zuricꦫh,🌠 2001, p. 192-195, figs. 82 & 83. 

N.C. Mehta, Studies in Indian Painting: a Survey of some New Material Ranging from the Commencement of the VII th century to circa 1870 AD, Mumbai, 1926, pl. 24. 

M.S. Randhawa, Kangra Paintings of the Gita Govinda, New Delhi, 1963. 

Stella Kramrisch, Painted Delight : Indian Paintings from Philadelphia Collections: Philadelphia Museum of Art, January 26 to April 20, exhibition catalogue,  𓂃;Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, 1986, p. 131, pl. 121. 

Terence McInerney, Divine Pleasures. Paintings from India's Rajput Courts. The Kronos Collections, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 2016𝓡, cat. nos. 77-85.

Andrew Topsfield, In the Realm of Gods and Kings: Arts of India, London, 2004, pp. 162-163, fig. 64.