A descendant of the Mughal court art, the Kangara School of art chose the quintessentially Indian Sringar ras (juice or emotion) as its subject. In most of the Kangara paintings, one can easily identify Radha and Krishna, the embodiments of love and Sringara ras in Indian culture and art tradition. Against a natural background of lush greenery and vast sky, the Kangara artist recreates different leelas (cosmic plays) of Radha-Krishna.
In this watercolour work by Navneet Parikh, Radha sits in the courtyard of a royal mansion with her lady-in-waiting, when Krishna approaches her with a floral garland in his hand. Radha has her head turned away from her lover, while Krishna’s body language suggests that he is trying to please her after a lover’s spat, who is communicating with him through her attendant. The mood of the painting takes one back to the literary work of Jaydeva- based on the nitty-gritty of the romance of Radha-Krishna, a common reference point for all artworks based on the charismatic duo. A literary tradition from Bengal being deftly painted in the Pahari style- let us take a moment to appreciate this unifying ability of Indian art!
The attendant and Radha are shown wearing lovely Peshwaj (a Mughal court dress) in pink and red. Both the ladies are wearing ornaments fashioned from precious metal, pearl, and stone. Krishna is in a Jama with a sash with an ornate turban. He too is liberally decorated with jewellery. The attire of the three subjects as well as the architecture in the background is a reminder of the Mughal origins of this painting style. Note the rhythmic repetition of colours- bright red on Radha’s dress is also on the mat below her feet, the carpet in the background, and the decoration of the marble structure. Similarly yellow is used in Krishna’s Jama and also in the chunri of the ladies and in the borders of the mat under Radha’s feet, the decoration on the building as well as the outline of the painting.
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