Handpainted – Pichwai – Raas Leela in the Moonlit Grove

Provenance

'Raas Leela in the Moonlit Grove' is a horizontal Pichwai painting of a circle of dancers moving through a grove at night. The raas, a circular dance, is a recurring subject in Pichwai, and here it fills the central field with dozens of figures in colourful skirts, arranged in rhythmic pairs.

At the centre, pairs of dancers with golden halos move in a curve on a pale sand-coloured ground, surrounded by peacocks, small animals and two seated musicians with drums. Dark trees and banana leaves rise behind them, with white monkeys among the branches under a blue starry sky and a white moon. A border of small niches shows standing figures of Shrinathji against coloured grounds, with rows of cows at the top and bottom, and a strip of lotuses and leaves running along the edge.

Green, sand, red, orange and yellow are the leading colours, with the dark foliage and the navy sky providing contrast. Hundreds of small details, such as skirts, leaves and lotuses, keep the surface lively. It is a painting that fills a wide wall with movement and colour.