Vishnu and Saraswati
<p>A folio from the Rukmini-Parinaya series
Kotah, Rajasthan, c.1700
Size: 30 x 22 cm
Rao Madho Singh Museum Trust, City Palace, Kotah	
</p>
The series to which this folio belongs is an early example of the Kotah kalam. It establishes the presence at the Kotah court of highly individualistic artists as well as the Mughal influence during the reign of Aurangzeb. The legendary scene depicts a king paying homage to a hermit seated on a bagh chhal in a lovely hermitage. The great respect shown by rulers to holy men can be sensed in this painting thought it deals with a mythological theme. The presence of Vishnu and Saraswati is indicative of the auspiciousness of the occasion and their presence also signifies their showering blessings on the royal personage of the king. The elongation of the figures is a feature derived from Mughal painting during the reign of Aurangzeb.
Kotah, Rajasthan
<a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://legacy.lclark.edu/~campion/hist259/paint2.htm">http://legacy.lclark.edu/~campion/hist259/paint2.htm</a>