Match List I with List II

Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

(A)-(IV), (B)-(III), (C)-(II), (D)-(I)

The correct answer is Option 1- (A)-(IV), (B)-(III), (C)-(II), (D)-(I)

Krishna with Gopis- The Pahari painting ‘Krishna with Gopis’ belongs to Basohli school of Art. It was painted during 1730 A.D. by the artist Manaku. It was painted in watercolour on paper with Tempera method. Krishna-Lila themes have been depicted through this relevant painting in Pahari School of miniature paintings in our course of study. The theme of this painting have been selected from the ‘Gita Govinda’ series. The painting presents Krishna surrounded by gopis singing and dancing on the bank of river Yamuna. The composition is in typical Basohli style with geometrical pattern. The use of bold colour infused vitality in the painting. Krishna is wearing a bright yellow dress with his upper body naked but ornamented. He is also wearing a crown with jewels and peacock plumes. Five gopis have been shown around Krishna who is in the centre of the painting. They are adoring Krishna who is wearing a graceful loin cloth and is embracing two of the gopis. One gopi is on the right side of the painting with folded hands (seems to be Radha) with an attendant holding a round fan over Radha’s head. Two gopis on the left side are talking to each other (one at the left end is holding chauri). All faces have large lotus-shaped eyes and the same line starting from forehead to nose have been shown beautifully. Hands and feet of gopis have been decorated in red colour. The composition has bright and bold lustrous colours. The small portion of Yamuna river in the foreground has been shown. The background has been depicted in orange colour. We can find some trees with deferent shapes of leaves but they are having the same level of height. One each side a big tree is there in the background. Orange, yellow, sky blue and red colours have been used. Krishna’s crown is very attractive and ornaments of gopis are very decorative.

Bani Thani: The exaggerated facial type of Kishangarh, which becomes the distinctive and salient stylistic feature of the Kishangarh School, is believed to have been derived from the attractively sharp facial features of Bani Thani. Artist Nihal Chand is attributed with the credit of contriving this exquisite and characteristic Kishangarh physiognomy that is perceived in figures of Sawant Singh and Bani Thani is always represented as Krishna and Radha in brilliantly coloured, panoramic landscapes. Radha’s face in Bani Thani as Radha is unique in her deeply curved eyes, exaggerated arch of the eyebrows, pointed nose, serpentine curl of hair spiralling down the cheek, thin lips and pronounced chin. This particular painting is in the collection of National Museum, New Delhi.

Maru Ragini: A particular set of Ragamala paintings from Mewar is, especially, important as one of its paintings bears crucial documentary evidence regarding its artist, patron, place and date of painting. Maru Ragini is from this set, which is in the collection of National Museum, New Delhi. The initial part of the inscription found on the painting, representing Maru Ragini, classifies Maru as the ragini of Raga Shri and describes her physical beauty and its effect on her beloved. It is the latter half that is engrossing as it reads, “… samvat 1685 varshe aso vad 9 Rana Shri Jagat Singh Rajen Udaipur madhe likhitam chitara Sahivdin bachan hara ne ram ram.” Samvat 1685 is 1628 CE and Sahibdin is referred to as chitara, meaning ‘someone who paints’, and the act of painting is termed as likhitam, translated as ‘written’ since the goal of the artist was to produce a painterly equivalent to the written verse inscribed on the painting.

Krishna on swing: This painting, illustrating Rasikapriya, is notable as it is inscribed with a date and name of the artist. Painted in 1683 by artist Nuruddin, who worked in the court of Bikaner from 1674 to 1698, it presents a stark and simple composition with minimal and suggestive representation of architecture and elements of landscape. Nuruddin has ingeniously employed the device of soft undulating mound in the centre to divide the painting into two sections. It operates as a pictorial prop that transforms an urban setting into a tree-laden countryside and vice versa. An architectural pavilion in the upper part of the painting pictorially qualifies that space as the ‘palatial interior’, while few trees on the green grassland suggest ‘outdoors and pastoral’ landscape. Hence, one understands the movement of the narrative from top to bottom as a progression of activities from indoors to outdoors. Appearing in the upper section of the painting, Krishna seated on a swing seems to be enjoying himself in the company of a Gopi at her dwelling. On learning about his rendezvous a jilted Radha, stricken with grief, disappears into the countryside and finds herself alone under a tree. Guilt-ridden Krishna, on learning of Radha’s sorrow, follows her but there is no truce happening. Meanwhile, Radha’s sakhi (friend) gets to know of the fall out and takes on the role of a messenger and pacifier. She comes to Krishna and tells him of the misery and plight of Radha, and implores him to appease her. This painting is in the collection of National Museum, New Delhi.