RAJA SURATH AND THE VAISHYA APPROACH THE ASHRAM OF THE SAGE MARKANDEYA, AN ILLUSTRATION FROM THE MARKANDEYA PURANA, Kangra or Guler, Late 18th century

Ink, pencil and opaque watercolour on paper, 18 lines of text on reverse

Like lot 64, this is a masterful sketch. The figures show the lyricism and delicacy associated with the Pahari schools in the late 18th century, and the softly-rendered landscape imparts a misty calm on the scene. Even the half-drawn crane and the tiger (or perhaps leopard) at the lower right have a delicate presence. A series of drawings of similar size and style is in the Rietberg Museum, Zurich (see Boner, Fischer and Goswamy 1994, nos.390-396), and another similar work, possibly from the same series, was formerly in the Pan Asian Collection, sold in these rooms, 20th June 1983, lot 125.