ARTIST NAINSUKH PAINTS LOVE AFFAIR OF DANCER AMAL AND MIAN MUKUND DEV OF JASROTA.

                                     

                                        

                                    

MIAN MUKUND DEV  OF JASROTA AND THE DANCER  AMAL ...A MINIATURE  TITLED  'LEISURELY RIDE'  BY NAINSUKH.

(Painting on display at V&T Museum London)

Sometimes I think that so many museums in the world shine bright with art that has traveled from India.  This applies to our paintings ,sculptures ,coins, textiles, manuscripts and other artifacts   .  The master paintings of Nainsukh  are scattered world over. These  can be seen in the   museums of London, Zurich, Horward , New York and other European  or American cities . 

Like Raja Balwant Singh, Mian Mukund Dev from Jasrota has also been a great patron of Nainsukh's Art .  In this master work, Nainsukh  has painted leisurely ride in Vasant season. Two male singers and a lady singer are leading  the leisurly  ride of Mian Mukund Dev (1720-1770 ) of Jasrota kingdom .  While the male singers are busy with singing, Amal is looking back.Amal has a crush on the man( Mian Mukund Dev )  who is following her on the horse.  Amal looks delicate, beautiful and gracious. Every square  centimetre of this miniature can be a painting in itself. A cut portion of the painting  shows Amal with singers. This enables a viewer to appreciate this masterpiece.

The yellow robe of Mukund Dev confirms  Vasant festivities.The lady in this work is identified by the inscription in the upper border of the painting  as singer cum dancer 'Amal'.This painting has also been commented upon by at least four leading art critics of the world. I quote  William Dalrymple:

" In this painting, you can almost hear the male singer Saddu with his lute, can admire the vulnerability and beauty of the lovely dancing girl Amal as she rides swathed in her winter shawl, turning back to catch the eye of Mian Mukund Dev, another of Nainsukh’s patrons; and you can sense the growing intimacy between the two of them."

(Avtar Mota)

PS
Jasrota falls in lower Shivalik  hills . It is located on the banks of river Ujh . Falling in Kathua district of Jammu, this village is about 16 KM's from Kathua town. The village has an old Kali temple and a Shiva temple. The Jasrota Fort lies in ruins and has become a part of Jasrota wild life sanctuary. The rulers of Jasrota were Jamwals, popularly called as the Jasrotias. The ruling family left the fort after Treaty of Amritsar was signed and Gulab Singh  sat on the throne of J&K state. Reportedly the ruling family moved to Khanapur near Nagrota .

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GURU NANAK DEV JI IN KASHMIR MINIATURE ART

                                   

GURU NANAK DEV JI WITH BALA AND MARDANA ...

This is a Kashmir Miniature painting of  19th century done by some unknown Kashmiri artist. The painting is in possession of Arpana Caur ( Born 1954 ) well-known painter and graphic artist from Punjab. Kashmiri Pandit artists have a history of illuminating Sikh scriptures including Guru Granth sahib.

Arpana is daughter of well known Punjabi writer Ajeet Caur ( Born 1934 ).

( Avtar Mota )



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BATHING MEN A PAINTING BY NAIN SUKH

                                    

 

 

BATHING MEN AT THE VILLAGE BAULI by NAIN SUKH....

This is a priceless work of Nainsukh . Bathing men at Village Bauli ( Fresh water Spring).

The scene is near a village Bauli in hills possibly Guler. The village Bauli is occupied as some one is having a bath .A man is waiting for the bathing space to get free. Three Brahmins in their snanpats ( cloth like underwear tied to waist ) also arrive on the scene. One among the three prefers to use a Lota and have bath a little away from the Bauli. While being busy with his bath, he is very careful lest some falling mango hit him as his another companion has gone up a mango tree near the Bauli . The third from the group waits for the fruits and looks up towards the tree. That is how life goes in hills . That is how great Nainsukh paints. More than three renowned art critics of the world have written exhaustive commentry on this work.. I quote William Dalrymple :

" Nainsukh broke free from the formality of so much Indian court art to explore the quirks of human reality, stripping down courtly conventions to create miniatures full of living and breathing individuals. His characters are often portrayed somewhere on the outer boundary between portraiture and caricature, yet they are always sympathetically observed. Even in his large crowd scenes, there are no ‘stock’ figures: everyone—each page, each village beauty, each gardener—is shown in portrait form as a real person, complete with all their oddities. Nainsukh’s art is for many of his admirers a summation and climax of the Indian miniature tradition."

(Courtesy SUTRA Journal)

( Avtar Mota)

                                                                          

 
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NAIN SUKH PAINTING AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY ART MUSEUM

                                                                       



 RAJA BALWANT SINGH OF JASROTA KINGDOM OF JAMMU HUNTING ..Painting by Nainsukh ( Nain Sukh Raina )..1752 AD.

Procured in 1957 , this painting bears Museum Accession No 1957.98. This Painting is on display at the Arthur M. Sackler Museum of Harvard University Art Museums. The details convey as under :

"This scene takes place on the scenic banks of the river Tawi in the state of Jammu in northern India. Wearing a dark green Jama, Raja Balwant Singh, king of Jasrota, leans forward with a sword in one hand to defend his elephant from an attacking lion. The scene is packed with intense action, all the retainers on foot and on horseback rushing forward to help. The mahout elephant trainer is poised to push the elephant goad into the head of the lion. The sparse setting gives little clue to the foreground violence: the landscape is bare, dotted with just a few Palash trees. The chaotic scene is witnessed by a distant hawk, who circles through the sky above. Nainsukh was one of the most famous artists working in the Hills. Raja Balwant Singh of Jasrota commissioned numerous portraits from Nainsukh, ranging from scenes of state audiences and royal hunts to intimate moments in the life of the ruler."

During my visit to Metropolitan Museum of Art New York, I was told by an official of the Museum :-

“ You may find some Nain Sukh painting in this museum .Nain Sukh’s work is rare and a part of the world heritage . His work is distinct in its features. Nain Sukh is believed to be of a Kashmiri Brahmin ancestry .”

Nainsukh or Nain Sukh Raina is known as a pictorial biographer of Raja Balwant Singh of Jasrota ( near present day kathua in Jammu ) . Raja Balwant Singh died in 1763 AD, thereafter Nain Sukh left Jasrota and moved to nearby Basholi kingdom ruled by Raja Amrit Pal at that point of time.


Sir Lawrence Gowing in his Book ‘A HISTORY OF ART’ Published in 1983 writes :-

“ Nain Sukh’s elder brother Manaku was employed as a Darbaar artist of Raja Amrit Pal. Manaku had done paintings illustrating Geet Govinda .Manaku’s early style showed the influence of the Basholi tradition but it began to change under the Influence of his brother Nain Sukh who was undoubtedly the finest painters of the period and who was responsible for introducing elements from Mughal Naturalism in the hills .It is not known how Nain Sukh received training in the Mughal idiom but his accurate portraits , his compositions and arrangements of different figures , and his colors and drawings all show an intimate knowledge of the technique perfected by Mughal artists especially those associated with Muhhamad Shah ( 1719-1748 AD ) . While being affected by Mughal art , the individual style could not for a moment be mistaken for that Mughal work . Nain Sukh moved to Basholi after the death of his patron Raja Balwant Singh . This important event marks a radical change in the paintings of Basholi from mannered paintings of pure warm colors to new lyrical and graceful naturalism . His father Sieu Raina originally from Kashmir , had settled in Guler.”

( Avtar Mota )

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KASHMIRI SHAWLS ON DISPLAY IN MUSEUMS OF EUROPE AND USA

                                                                          (1)

                                                                        (2)

                                                                     (3)

KASHMIRI SHAWLS ON DISPLAY IN MUSEUMS OF EUROPE AND USA

(1) Map Shawl in Pashmina from Kashmir embroidered with pashmina relating to Year 1870 on display inside Victoria and Albert Museum, London.. Gifted to Museum by of Mrs. Estelle Fuller through the Art Fund.

(2) A-Unique-Kashmir Pashmina Shawl relating to 19th century at-the-Guimet-Museum-Paris.

(3) Fragment of a Kashmir Shawl from late 18th century on display at Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford.

Sometime in the late 18th century or early 19th century ,Kashmir shawls captured market in France and England where it was known as Cashmere Shawl and was popular in Aristocratic families.Even Josephine Bonaparte (Napoleon's wife) wore a Cashmere Pashmina Shawl. Josephine had a collection of 60 kashmiri shawls. Emperor Akbar and Ottoman Royals also wore kashmiri shawls. Royals in princely states of undivided India wore kashmiri shawls. I have personally seen expensive Kashmiri shawls in various museums all over India.

British Officers were more than happy to receive a kashmiri Pashmina shawl as Nazraana from Indian royals. Even Article 10 of the Treaty of Amritsar signed in 1846 required Maharaja Ghulab Singh to present three pairs or 6 Pashmina shawls annually to British Government. In nineteenth century, a kashmiri shawl could be seen in Iraq, Turkey and Egypt.

So Many museums in Europe and USA have old and exquisite kashmir shawls on display. Through these museums. the wonders created by kashmiri artisans have become known all over the world.

( Avtar Mota )

                                                      

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HARIHARA FROM KASHMIR IN BERLIN MUSEUM

HARIHARA From Kashmir in Museen Dahlem  (Dahlem Museums)  Berlin, Germany.

(9th century Soap Stone Sculpture from Kashmir)

Many museums world over have  Harihara sculptures from various kingdoms of ancient and mediaeval India . Some Harihara sculptures from Kashmir can be seen in museums of USA and Germany. In  Museen Dahlem  (Dahlem Museums)  Berlin, Germany , there are some  sculptures  relating to ancient and mediaeval  Kashmir. A 9^th century  soapstone sculpture of  Harihara  ( See Pic. 61 ) from Kashmir is worth mentioning.  Ancient and mediaeval Kashmir had a grand tradition of Shiva and Vishnu worship. Innumerable Shiva and Vishnu sculptures were created in stone and metals. In line with prevailing practice in the subcontinent at that time, Kashmiri sculptors also created single image of Shankara and Narayana  known as HARIHARA or Shankarnarayan . This suited the Vaishnavites and Shaivites of Kashmir .

 

Harihara was  generally shown and sculpted in standing position by presenting Shiva and Vishnu, into a single body. Harihara is a much worshipped god in entire southern and eastern parts of the country. Harihara sculpted images can be seen at some temples of Cambodia, Bali ,Java ,Nepal and Thailand.

( Avtar Mota )




                                                                             

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THE GLITTER AND LAMENT OF NEW YORK

                                 

A HOMELESS MAN ON  FOOTPATH  IN NEW YORK..

New York is a city that provokes, excites and sets many dreams in motion. It has avenues, streets,   trains, speeding yellow taxis, theatres, cinema halls,    high rise buildings, ever-busy lifts, street acrobats,  bars, pubs,  glare , glamour , fashion  , films ,  shopping malls , art museums , Times Square lights, parks, Yoga ,  heritage buildings,  libraries,  burgers, bagels,   coffee, affluence,  jobs,  unemployment, illegal immigrants, book shops, baby sitters, cat sitters, dog sitters, dog walkers,  homeless, beggers , ice hockey , 24 by 7 open restaurants , baseball,    cars ,  delivery boys,   ,   tourists , exploiters, arm twisters, drugs, hospitals,  discotheques, politicians, spacious churches, unconcerned looks, smiles, formal communication,  Thank you saying crowds, people walking with hand held foods, honking vehicles( police, fire department and ambulances), people moving past you on speeding skates and what not.

 I saw churches engaged in food distribution to hungry, the Salvation Army volunteers making their presence felt and settled people exploring viable alternatives to move to a more better life.

The evening time breeze near the Hudson river soothes every person be he a resident or a migrant to this city of opportunities.

Why do the homeless and poor forming a part of the bruised humanity seek a  corner in your streets or parks or underground metro stations to sleep and pass one more night of agony?

 Answer New York.

I am adding a couplet of Moin Ahsan Jazbi to this post on New York..

Sarv o saman Bhi Mauj e naseem e Sehar Bhi Hai ,
Aey Gul Teray Chaman Mein Koyee chashme tar bhi hai...................... ..

In English I would say....

(  You have the Cypress and the Jasmine and  the wafting morning Breeze as well,
 O Flower ! Look around carefully ,  There sits a person with moist eyes in your garden  .)

( Avtar Mota )


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SHAKYAMUNI. (BUDDHA) FROM KASHMIR IN RUSSIAN MUSEUM.

                                       

SHAKYAMUNI.  (BUDDHA)  FROM  KASHMIR  IN RUSSIAN MUSEUM.

This is  a Shakyamuni  sculpture from Kashmir   relating to 7th or 8th century  done in  bronze (copper alloy) with cold gold and pigments (and silver-inlaid eyes),. This is on display at
 the  State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg (Russia). The State Hermitage Museum'  is possibly the second largest Museum in the world..Opened in 1764 the  museum's Asian section has priceless art treasures relating to  Byzantium(ancient Turkey) , Sasanian Iran, Islamic Art, India, Mongolia , Tibet, China, and Central Asia .

The description given by the Museum goes as under :

'This buddha also holds a piece of his robe in front of him (rather than to the left side as was often the case on Karkota dynasty sculptures) and his skin has been painted with cold gold all over '

(Avtar Mota)



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