Rasalila, illustration from a dispersed Harivamsha series, numbered 86 on the reverse, attributed to Purkhu, Kangra, c. 1800-15, opaque pigments and gold on paper, folio: 36 x 47.2 cm (including red border)

Autumn Highlights
Purkhu Harivamsha Folios and the Rind Album Pages

Francesca Galloway is delighted to present their Autumn Highlights, featuring a fine selection of works from private collections, many of which are newly available to the market. Amongst these, The Purkhu Harivamsha folios and the Rind Album pages in particular are exciting folios, as are a small group of Mughal material acquired on the London market in the 1970s.

Two of the paintings from the Purkhu Harivamsha Series belong to a well-known Pahari series of the Harivamsha (Genealogy of Hari [Vishnu]). Comprising 16,374 shlokas and traditionally credited to the ancient sage Vyasa, the text of the Harivamsha recounts the life of Krishna in a level of detail matched only by the Bhagavata Purana. This particular series, which consists of large number of paintings without a running text or even a brief synopsis on the reverse, is widely associated with the work of Purkhu, a leading artist of the Punjab Hills.

Other standout pieces include two large watercolors made for the the Rind Album, compiled by Major James Nathaniel Rind (baptised 1753-1814). Born in Scotland, Rind traveled to India in 1778 and was stationed there until 1801, spending much of his time based in Calcutta from 1793 to 1801. Paintings from Rind’s extensive album were first introduced to a wider audience at Sotheby’s in 1971, when part of his collection was sold by his descendants, including their Portrait of a Bengali (lot 48). While many of Rind’s paintings are relatively conventional, some are truly extraordinary, including their large and impressive painting, A Bengal Catfish from the Hugli River. Almost certainly painted from life and to scale, this is one of a relatively small number of paintings of fish commissioned by Europeans from Indian artists in the closing years of the 18th century.

The gallery warmly invites you to schedule a private appointment to explore these magnificent works and more in their space in Holland Park.

To view them and learn more, click here.