A PAHARI PAINTING OF A VIRAHINI NAYIKA, NORTHERN INDIA, GULER, CIRCA 1800

A PAHARI PAINTING OF A VIRAHINI NAYIKA, NORTHERN INDIA, GULER, CIRCA 1800 Gouache and gold on paper. The heroine dressed in fine silks and adorned with ornate pearls and jewels longs for her lover, one hand clasped around a branch, the other holding a fan. Suffers from vipralambhashringara (love in separation), her disposition in stark contrast to her lush verdant surroundings, with lotuses in a pond and mango trees bearing ripe fruits, the onset of spring irrelevant to her plight. Provenance: Swiss trade. Acquired from an old private collection. Condition: Very good condition with minor wear and slight soiling. Minor smudges. Possible minor touchups. Backed firmly by a thick sheet of paper. Dimensions: Image size 29.2 x 19.3 cm, Size incl. frame 53.8 x 44 cm Virahini Nayika, or woman in longing, is a popular subject in Pahari painting. She is often depicted alone, feeding animals, staring out into a storm, smoking a hookah, or like the present painting, clinging to a tree. This sensitively rendered painting captures the damsel’s despair as she experiences the pain of her lover’s absence. Literature comparison: Compare a near identical Pahari painting of a Virahini Nayika, dated 1830, in the collection of the Bharat Kala Bhavan, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi. Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Bonhams New York, 14 September 2015, lot 115 Price: USD 10,000 or approx. EUR 12,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: An illustration from a nayika series: Virahini Nayika, Kangra or Guler, circa 1800 Expert remark: Compare the related subject and manner of painting. Note the size (25.4 x 18.4 cm). Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie’s New York, 19 March 2013, lot 282 Price: USD 13,750 or approx. EUR 17,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A painting of a Nayika, India, Guler, circa 1800 Expert remark: Compare the related subject and manner of painting. Note the size (22.8 x 18.7 cm).