Nihâl Chand

Nihâl Chand (1710–1782) was an Indian painter and poet who produced some of the best known examples of Rajput painting. He was the chief painter at the court of Kishangarh during the time of the ruler Savant Singh (also known as Nagari Das). He is attributed with a small group of paintings in a distinctive style, produced for Raja Savant Singh, and mostly depicting the raja and his mistress Bani Thani as Krishna and Radha. These are "widely held to be the finest of all Rajasthani miniatures", and are unusually large for their type, reaching 19 by 14 inches (48 x 36 cm).[1] He was a devout follower of Vallabha who had founded a Krishna-centric philosophy that surfaces repeatedly in his paintings as he deifies the king with light blue skin.[2]

Bani Thani, attributed to Nihâl Chand, National Museum, New Delhi
An 18th century Rajput painting by Nihâl Chand.

Chand was a Muslim who had worked in Delhi, though it is not known if this was in the imperial painting workshop. He arrived in Kishangarh between 1719 and 1726.[3]

  • Raja Savant Singh and Bani Thani as Krishna and Radha, ca. 1760.
  • Radha and Krishna in the boat of love
  • Krishna and Radha, Opaque watercolor and gold on cotton, ca 1750.
  • Krishna Celebrates Holi with Radha and the Gopis, 1750-60, Boston MFA

References
  1. Harle, 395-396 (395 quoted); Kossak, 21, 113
  2. "Radha and Krishna in the boat of love - Nihal Chand". Google Arts & Culture. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  3. Kossak, 21


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