Handpainted – Pichwai – Shrinathji in Meadow Green

Provenance

'Shrinathji in Meadow Green' is a Pichwai painting in the tradition associated with Nathdwara, where large cloth hangings were made to stand behind the image of Shrinathji. The deity is shown frontally and in strict symmetry, set within a tall yellow niche, while a green field around him turns the composition into a pasture. Cows, a favourite companion in Pichwai, walk in a ring around the border, so the whole painting reads as a calm, orderly act of devotion.

Shrinathji has a deep blue face with lowered eyes, a jewelled crown set against a peacock-feather halo, and a raised left arm holding a coil of pale blue cloth. Pink lotuses rise at his left, a long pearl necklace falls the length of his body, and a garland of pink lotus petals hangs on either side. His red skirt flares in pleated tiers edged with gold, and his crossed feet rest on a white platform. Twelve white cows with red hand-print marks and orange hooves circle the border, while a pair of red roundels and two small gold stands flank a pink cushion at the base.

Meadow green, saffron yellow and red are set against the cool blue of the face and the pale blue cloth, so the figure holds the centre without effort. Rows of tiny dots in the green and the yellow give each field a gentle pattern, and the white of the pearls and cows keeps the eye moving up and down the frame. The painting has a bright, festive quality that suits a living room, a hallway or a prayer space.