Delighted at the Prospect: The Nayika Mudita
| Support Type: | Paper |
| Paint Type: | Watercolor |
| Current Location: | San Diego Museum of Art The artwork is currently part of the Edwin Binney 3rd Collection at the San Diego Museum of Art, California, USA. |
| Location History: | Originally created in Nurpur (Pahari region, present-day Himachal Pradesh, India) around 1665 as part of the Rasamanjari series. It later became part of the Edwin Binney 3rd Collection and is now housed at the San Diego Museum of Art. |
The painting here is based on ‘Rasmanjari’, a 15th century text written by Bhanudatta which explores the classification of Nayak and Nayikas on the basis of Shringara (romantic/love) rasa. The shringara rasa is shown here through the divine love between Radha and Krishna. The nayak or Krishna is in his traditional yellow (pitambhar) coloured lower garment, holding a lotus bud for his beloved in one hand and the artist has chosen a vasakasajjika nayika, who is waiting for her lover inside the palace. The painting shows a plain green background with a strip of skyline at the top, a palace on the left is shown with an inside chamber, and is decorated with varied arabesque and scroll-like designs. The figures are two-dimensional, with large petal eyes, wearing elaborate garments and their jewelleries are created with beetle wings. All these are characteristics of the Basohli school of Pahari miniature tradition which flourished in the 17th century under Raja Kirpal Pal.