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South and Southeast Asia

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Image of Usha comes to Aniruddha during his evening meal

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Bookmark: https://collection.sdmart.org/objects-1/info/6202

Usha comes to Aniruddha during his evening meal


Creation date: ca. 1775
Creation place: India

Other Information

Type: Watercolor Painting
Medium and Support: Opaque watercolor and gold on paper
Credit Line: Edwin Binney 3rd Collection
Accession Number: 1990.1197
State/Province: Himachal Pradesh
Dimensions: 8 in. x 12 in. (20.3 cm x 30.5 cm)

Provenance

Ramesh Kapoor, New York, New York ( - August 27, 1984)

Edwin Binney 3rd, San Diego, California (August 27, 1984 - August 27, 1990)

San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego, California (August 27, 1990 - )

Label Copy

May 2006
Wit and Wisdom
One night, Usha, the daughter of the thousand-armed king Bana, dreamt of a charming youth. With the help of her friend, she was able to identify her mysterious lover as Aniruddha, the grandson of Krishna, an incarnation of the god Vishnu. He was brought to Usha's chambers, and there Aniruddha enjoyed the princess's company before the merriments came to a sudden halt when he was discovered by her father. Here the princess approaches the chamber where Aniruddha is being attended by Usha's maids. (For the whole story, see the program on the computer kiosk.)
The softly-modeled and elegant form of the figures were influenced by paintings from Guler, a neighboring hill state south of Chamba. This gentle, naturalistic style entered the Pahari hill region with the flight of artists from the Mughal capital after the sack of Delhi in 1739. The earliest Western collectors especially appreciated this style of Pahari paintings.
August 27, 1984
This series has been a "gap" in the collection for many years. Regardless of the very high price, it was something I HAD TO HAVE. . . A VERY IMPORTANT ADDITION, painted by one of the sons of Nainsukh (I forget which one!).
June 2014 Gallery 10 rotation
Usha comes to Aniruddha during his evening meal
Northern India, Chamba
Opaque watercolor and gold on paper, ca. 1775
The story of Usha and Aniruddha comes from the important Hindu text, the Bhagavata Purana. One night, Usha, the daughter of the thousand-armed king Bana, dreamt of a charming youth. With the help of her friend, she was able to identify her mysterious lover as Aniruddha, the grandson of Krishna, an incarnation of the god Vishnu. He was brought to Usha’s chambers, and there Aniruddha enjoyed the princess’s company before the merriments came to a sudden halt when he was discovered by her father. Here the princess approaches the chamber where Aniruddha is being attended by Usha’s maids.
The painting was made at the court of Chamba, in a remote mountain area of northern India. The softly modeled and elegant forms of the figures were influenced by paintings from Guler, a neighboring hill state, and by artists from the Mughal court in Delhi, who moved into the region after the sack of Delhi in 1739.
Edwin Binney 3rd Collection, 1990.1197

Last Updated: 9/5/2017

Exhibition

This object was included in the following exhibitions:

Wit and Wisdom: The Making of the Edwin Binney 3rd Collection , 4/15/2006 - 10/29/2006

Arts of South and Southeast Asia 13th to 19th Century , 6/16/2014 - 12/14/2014

Visible Vaults The San Diego Museum of Art , 11/12/2016 - 00/00/00

Bibliography

This object has the following bibliographic references:

Ms. Marika Sardar and Ms Neeraja Poddar. Epic Tales from Ancient India San Diego Museum of Art. San Diego, California, 2016
Page Number: 15, Figure Number: 8

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South and Southeast Asia

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