Radha, Kishangarh, Rajasthan, India, 20th century

Opaque watercolour heightened with gold on paper

Minor undulations to the surface of the work in the lower half of the miniature, as viewed. This work has been laid down onto a later card backing. In good condition overall. This work is unframed Please note that the paper of the current lot has been analysed by a conservator and confirmed as 19th century but the painting is a late 20th copy of a miniature in the collection of H.H. Maharaja of Kishangarh, please see footnote for further details
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Kishangarh portraits of Radha are said to also represent that of Bani Thani, the mistress of Raja Savant Singh (r.1749-1764). Raja Savant Singh was a devout follower of Krishna and wrote under the pen-name of Nagari Das poetry celebrating the life of Krishna. In 1757 Savant Singh retired with Bani Thani to the holy town of Vrindavan. Throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries Kishangarh painters repeatedly portrayed the Krishna lilas, the depiction of Radha and Krishna, that echoed the love story between Savant and Bani. The accentuated features characteristic of the Kishangarh school were initially developed in the early eighteenth-century by the painter Bhavanidas and further stylised by Nihal Chand.  A portrait attributed to Nihal Chand identical in composition to the current lot is in the Maharaja of Kishangarh's Collection (see Archer 1960, plate 58 and Dickinson and Khandalawala, Kishangarh Painting, Lalit Kala Academy , London, 1959).