Krishna Holding Mount Govardhan

Object Details

• Artist

  Attributed to Mola Ram (1760-1833)

• Court

  Garwhal Court

• School/Tradition

  Pahari school

• Provenance

  At least 1930-1932

  Ajit Ghose (b. 1886), India, method of acquisition unknown [1]

  From 1932

  Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from Ajit Ghose [2]

  Notes:

  [1] O. C. Gangoly, “Giri-Govardhana-Dharana: A Kangra Miniature” [journal article], from “Rupam,” no. 41, (Delhi: B. R. Publishing Corps., January 1930), opp. p. 18, ill. (color). Object is described as, "Giri-Govardhana-Dharana […] By the courtesy of Mr. Ajit Ghose.”

  See untitled object list of “objects, owned by Mr. Ajit Ghose, Calcutta, India, on approval at the Freer Gallery [of Art],” undated (possibly 1931), copy in object file. The object was transferred from Ajit Ghose, Calcutta (Kolkata), India, to the Freer Gallery of Art for acquisition consideration possibly before December 22, 1931. Object is described as “No. 10[,] Late 18th century. Govardhanadharan.” This object was one of three paintings to arrive at the Freer Gallery of Art. A typed annotation on the object list indicates that one object was not retained by the Freer Gallery of Art and had left the museum on December 22, 1931.

  Ajit Ghose was a lawyer and scholar in Calcutta (Kolkata), India. Ghose was a numismatist, who also collected Persian and Indian art, including paintings and antiquities.

  [2] See object file for copy of Ajit Ghose invoice to Freer Gallery of Art, dated March 22, 1932, and marked approved on March 22, 1932.

  Research updated October 27, 2023

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Arts of the Indian Subcontinent and the Himalayas (October 16, 2004 to January 3, 2016)

  Hindu and Buddhist Art (April 1, 1982 to July 18, 1983)

  Bicentennial Exhibition: Near Eastern and Indian Art (December 15, 1975 to November 10, 1976)

  Indian Art (January 1, 1963 to January 28, 1981)

  Untitled Exhibition, South Asian Art, Gallery 8 (July 15, 1958 to January 1, 1963)

  Centennial Exhibition, West Corridor (February 25, 1956 to July 11, 1958)

  Untitled Exhibition, South Asian Painting, 1955 (October 24, 1955 to November 28, 1955)

  Untitled Exhibition, South Asian Paintings and Sculpture (October 2, 1947 to February 25, 1956)

  Untitled Exhibition, South Asian Paintings, Gallery 7 (January 10, 1945 to October 2, 1947)

  Untitled Exhibition, South Asian Paintings, Gallery 4 (May 5, 1933 to January 9, 1945)

  The Art of India (May 11 to August 1, 1931)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Ajit Ghose

• Origin

  Uttarakhand state, Garhwal, India

• Credit Line

  Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment

• Type

  Painting

• Restrictions and Rights

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1790s

• Name

  Ghose, Ajit

• Place

  Garhwal, Uttarakhand state, India

• Topic

  Gopi, South Asian and Himalayan Art, Art, Krishna, Cows, Mount Govardhan

• Culture

  Himalayan peoples, South Asians

• Object Type

  Paintings