A RARE SET OF 12 ILLUSTRATIONS DEPICTING THE CHANGING SEASONS BARAMASAINDIA, KANGRA, CIRCA 1820 | A RARE SET OF 12 ILLUSTRATIONS DEPICTING THE CHANGING SEASONS BARAMASA

Each painting composed in an oval format inset within blue spandrels ornamented with delicate foliate designs, further framed by a yellow inner border with blossoms.   Each verso bearing an inscription in Devanagari naming the month depicted.

In excellent overall condition. In order as they appear in the catalogue 1) Some minor creasing to the lower left corner of the foliate blue ground border surrounding the image. 2) Some wear to the lower right corners and some wear and loss of pigment to the pink ground of the borders. Flaking and loss of pigment in the orange border surrounding the foliate yellow border. 3) Wear to lower corners of the borders and the lower edge of the left corner folded over with resultant creasing. Some staining visible in the pink borders. 4) A pin hole visible in the lower left corner of the border. 5) A minor tear around the head of the female figure visible in the gray ground of the background. Some wear and paint loss to the right corner of the lower corner in the border. 6) Wear to lower left and right corners as well as in the left side of pink border. A pin hole in the lower left corner. 7) Two small pin holes to upper and lower center of the pink border and some creasing in upper left corner of the border. Fading to foliate decoration on the orange rooftop. 8) Some staining to upper right and right edge of the pink border. Minor creasing to lower right corner of blue ground in foliate background. Very minor loss in the lower part of the gold ground border around the image. 9) With minor flaking to the blue pigment in the foliate background surrounding the image. 10) Some loss of pigment ot the lower left and right corners of the pink ground borders. Very minor flaking to blue ground in the area to the upper left and lower right of the foliate border surrounding the image. 11) Three pin holes, two in the upper center of the pink border and one at the bottom center of the border. Minor loss to gold border at bottom center which surrounds the image. 12) A pin hole at the bottom left of the pink border and two at the top right within the pink borders. Some loss to orange ground around the yellow foliate border.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This very fine series of twelve paintings illustrates the text of the Baramasa (the song of the twelve months/ seasons) composed by the poet Keshav Das.  Each painting depicts a royal couple (a nayika and a nayaka) seated facing each other on the carpeted outdoor terrace of a white marble pavilion.  A landscape view in the background of each painting reflects the seasonal village activities associated with that month.  In one lively folio depicting the month of Bhadon (July-August), the couple sit together speaking as the dark swirling clouds of the monsoon roll in.  The hero is dressed to leave.  The weather is changing but it is still hot - elephants crazed by heat-madness uproot trees in the background.  Powerful wind gusts bend fully-leaved trees as the waters begin to rise, flowing rapidly from increasing rainfall.  On the terrace the nayika admonishes her beloved:

"The clouds are gathering, thunder rolls and rain pours in torrents.

The wind blows fiercely, the cicadas chirp.

Lions roar and the elephants fell the trees.

Day is dark like night and one's home is best.

Pray leave me not in the month of Bhadon

for separation pains like poison"

(from the Kavipriya of Keshav Das)

Complete sets of Baramasa paintings from the Nineteenth Century are very scarce whether from the Pahari region as the present lot, or from Rajasthan.  The paintings are generally compiled in a seasonal cycle beginning with Spring, viz: Chaitra / Baisakha / Jyeshtha / Ashadha / Shravan / Bhadon / Ashvina / Karttika / Agahana / Pausha / Magh and Phalguna.  

This theme of the twelve-month cycle of seasons has long been celebrated in the poetry, art and folk traditions of India.  Perhaps the most popular version is found in the tenth chapter of the Kavipriya written by the poet Keshav Das of Orccha (1555-1617) which speaks of the joys of love and pangs of separation experienced by couples within the context of the changing seasons.

For Rajasthani versions depicting this theme see the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum London IS.32-1980 depicting the month of Karttik, and The British Museum 1999,1202,00.1.8 representing Bhadon. For Pahari illustrations of the subject see W.G. Archer, Pahari Paintings, London, 1973 Vol. I and II, nos. 44 and 45, and M.S Randhawa, Kangra Paintings on Love, New Delhi, 1994, Plates XXI, XXII and XXIV.

We would like to thank Mitche Kunzman for his assistance with this entry.