An opaque watercolor painting depicting two standing women who are dressed in pale, long dresses and veils behind their heads. The woman standing in the center is looking down at two round, grey birds. Behind her are some trees and in front of her is a pond with lily pads. The piece is framed with a thin, floral frame.
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A rectangular opaque watercolor painting depicting two standing women who are dressed in pale, long dresses and veils behind their heads. The woman slightly out of frame on the right wears a dress and veil pale yellow with polka dots. She looks at the other woman and holds her hands up near her face. The woman standing in the center wears a white dress and a black and white striped veil and is looking down at two round, grey birds. Behind her on the left are three flowering trees, a full white moon behind her on the upper-right, and in front of her is a pond with lily pads with white lotus blossoms. The piece is framed with a gold and dark blue thin, floral frame. Around the frame is a pale pink page with little red lines patterning around.

Identification and Creation

Object Number
1972.76
Title
Abhisarika Nayika Entering a Forest
Classification
Paintings
Work Type
painting
Date
19th century
Places
Creation Place: South Asia, India, Himachal Pradesh, Kangra
Culture
Indian
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/215676

Physical Descriptions

Medium
Opaque watercolor and gold on paper; Pahari Style, Kangra School
Dimensions
26.35 x 18.57 cm (10 3/8 x 7 5/16 in.)

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of John Kenneth Galbraith
Accession Year
1972
Object Number
1972.76
Division
Asian and Mediterranean Art
Contact
am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
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Descriptions

Description
The Abhisarika Nayika is a heroine that sets aside her modesty and moves out of her home, braving all kinds of difficulties, to secretly meet her lover. Here, under the moonlight, she is about to enter a forest on the left. She wears a long white dress, a striped shawl that covers her hair and is draped around her shoulders, a head ornament, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and armlets. Her left hand holds an edge of her shawl, while her right hand is held to her chin, signifying her fear and hesitation of journeying into a forest in the dark. Two quails stand near her. A female attendant sees the nayika off. The attendant wears a pale yellow dress with a long yellow shawl with gold dots that covers her head and shoulders. In the foreground is a silvery pond covered with lily pads and lotus blossoms. Pahari Style, Kangra School.


Publication History

  • Stuart Cary Welch and Milo Cleveland Beach, Gods, Thrones, and Peacocks Northern Indian Painting from Two Traditions, exh. cat., Harry N. Abrams, Inc. (New York, NY, 1965), page 111/figure 81
  • Evelyn Rosenthal, ed., Harvard University Art Museums Annual Report 1994-1995, Harvard University Art Museums (Cambridge, MA, 1996), page 27

Exhibition History

  • The Grace of White: Indian Paintings and Objects, 16th-19th Centuries, Harvard University Art Museums, Cambridge, 07/23/1994 - 09/29/1994
  • Rasika, the Discerning Connoisseur: Indian Paintings from the John Kenneth Galbraith Collection, Harvard University Art Museums, Cambridge, 01/31/1998 - 04/05/1998
  • 32Q: 2590 South and Southeast Asia, Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, 11/07/2018 - 04/17/2019

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Verification Level

This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu