A Girl with a Pet Antelope

Historical period(s)
ca. 1750
Movement
Kulu Court
School
Pahari School
Medium
Opaque watercolor on paper
Dimensions
H x W: 21.1 x 14.9 cm (8 5/16 x 5 7/8 in)
Geography
India, Punjab Hills, Himachal Pradesh state, Possibly Kulu
Credit Line
Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Accession Number
F1937.42
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Painting
Type

Painting

Keywords
antelope, India
Provenance
Provenance research underway.
Label

Woman and love are recurring themes in the paintings of the Punjab Hills, and love in separation is frequently the artist's focus. In the symbolism that permeates these works, the antelope often refers to the absent lover, while the weeping willow echoes the sorrow of the woman longing for the return of her beloved. Such paintings may be read metaphorically to suggest the yearning of the human soul for union with the divine. The elegant woman with elongated lower limbs is a fine example of the Kulu artist's work, with the willow tree a recurring image.

Published References
  • Jose Gomez-Sicre. Guia de las colecciones pu´blicas de arte en los Estados Unidos. 2 vols., Washington. vol. 1: p. 36.
  • Regina L. Shoolman, Charles E. Slatkin. The Enjoyment of Art in America: A Survey of the Permanent Collections of Painting, Sculpture, Ceramics & Decorative Arts in American and Canadian Museums: Being an Introduction to the Masterpieces of Art from Prehistoric to Modern Times. Philadelphia and New York. pl. 127.
  • Dr. Ananda K. Coomaraswamy. Rajput Painting: An Account of the Hindu paintings of Rajasthan and the Panjab Himalayas from the Sixteenth to the Nineteenth Century Described in their Relation to Contemporary Thought. 2 vols., New York and London. vol. 2: pl. 48A.
  • Sir William George Archer. Indian Painting in the Punjab Hills. London. pl. 56.
  • The Young Folks Page. Boston, Thursday, February 16, 1939. p. 6.
  • James Randolph. Freer Gallery Houses Fabulous Art. vol. 7, no. 79 Tokyo and Sydney, July 1956. p. 23, cover.
  • Katharine Gibson. More Pictures to Grow Up With. New York and London. p. 107.
Collection Area(s)
South Asian and Himalayan Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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