Chandi- Kangra Painting

Price inclusive of GST

This painting of the goddess of moonlight, Chandi, is made in the Kangra school of Pahari Painting now surviving in a small town in Himachal Pradesh. Chandi rides her chariot in the sky, pulled by Blackbuck antelopes.

Made by one of the last remaining practitioners of this subset of painting, it is done on Basli paper- a handmade paper treated with copper that resists decay or infection. It is painted in stone ground and naturally extracted colours (White from lime, Vermillion from Camellia, Red from Cinnabar etc) and highlighted with 24kt gold. All are mixed with water and gum arabica.

“Miniature” painting has its roots in 11th century India, and was later influenced by various styles like Persian.  Miniature developed so, because it was meant to be held in hand and read like a book. The folios were never too large to hold. Within miniature, Pahari paintings have a softness and a dreamy quality that sets them apart. Ofcourse, the best method to guess the possible origin of a painting is to judge the clothes of the characters it portrays. The same story or myth will depicted in local flavour or in the likeness of the patron, by artists of different schools. 

There are numerous stories of artists or heads of workshops observing a potential buyer keenly to determine if they are worthy of the sale. Like in cuisine and music, patronage for miniature painting in India was a high art. Here is a guide to observing this one:

Notice the confidence in line work by the artist. In the delicate shadows, the arch of the eyebrow, the hair at her nape, and the wheels of her chariot. She is surrounded by a disk of gold, with gold details throughout painting. Gold cannot be covered easily with a new layer of paint, so there is no room for error in each stroke. The slightest error in angle of the line would cause trouble as well. Next notice the translucence of her dupatta (scarf). Dieties have long been imagined in flimsy dhakai muslin, and shimmering Chanderi. The translucence is a striking marker of a Kangra painting. It is not a characteristic that can be found easily in the brightly coloured Pahari cousins of Basohli and Chamba for example. Next notice the bhava- ie. The feeling of the painting. Chandi rides with a serene face, embodying the gentle, soothing moonlight. She smiles much like a parent coaxing you to rest. Celestial beings shower her with flowers, welcoming her.

This painting has been rendered in natural mineral colours and 24kt gold on Basli paper.

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