H x W (drawing): 22.4 × 33.6 cm (8 13/16 × 13 1/4 in)
Type:
Painting
Origin:
Guler, Himachal Pradesh state, Punjab Hills, India
Date:
1775-1800
Court:
Guler Court
School/Tradition:
Pahari school
Label:
This drawing is one of a series that illustrates the love story of the heroic Nala and the beautiful Damayanti, a tale that forms part of the renowned Hindu epic, the Mahabharata (Great story of the Bharatas). Using the convention of continuous narrative that was popular at many Rajput courts, the artist has portrayed Damayanti three times as she prepares for her wedding. At the very center a group of attendants bathe Damayanti; at the upper left she is being dressed and adorned by her companions; at the lower right she is led out to the marriage ceremonies.
Provenance:
To 1930
Ajit Ghose, Calcutta to 1930 [1]
From 1930
Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from Ajit Ghose, Calcutta in 1930 [2]
Notes:
[1] Object file, undated folder sheet note. See also Freer Gallery of Art Purchase List file, Collections Management Office.
[2] See note 1.
Collection:
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Exhibition History:
Arts of the Indian Subcontinent and the Himalayas (October 16, 2004 to January 3, 2016)
Masterworks of Indian Painting (December 13, 1997 to June 13, 1998)
South and South East Asian Art (May 9, 1993 to February 7, 2000)
The Arts of South Asia (May 13, 1985 to December 2, 1985)
Hindu and Buddhist Art (April 1, 1982 to July 18, 1983)
The Brush of the Masters: Drawings from India (October 14, 1978 to May 15, 1979)
Centennial Exhibition, West Corridor (February 25, 1956 to July 11, 1958)
Untitled Exhibition, South Asian Painting, 1955 (October 24, 1955 to November 28, 1955)
Untitled Exhibition, South Asian Paintings and Sculpture (October 2, 1947 to February 25, 1956)
Untitled Exhibition, South Asian Paintings, Gallery 7 (January 10, 1945 to October 2, 1947)
Untitled Exhibition, South Asian Paintings, Gallery 4 (May 5, 1933 to January 9, 1945)
