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The Wedding Procession of Vasudeva (वासुदेव) and Devaki (देवकी) c. 1700

Pencil, watercolour, bodycolour, gold and silver paint | 22.0 x 30.5 cm (image) | RCIN 452416

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  • The wedding procession of Vasudeva and Devaki from a series of paintings depicting the Bhagavata Purana, formerly housed in the Bikaner royal collection.

    Vasudeva and Devaki were the parents of the Hindu god Krishna. A note in English on the reverse of the frame describes the scene: 'The bride and bridegroom returning home in their chariot are welcomed at the portico of the palace by attendant women bearing the "kalas", a jar filled with water containing leaves, flowers and other auspicious omens. Above the portico is another scene: the bride and bridegroom worshipping Ganesh, the Hindu god of prosperity, after their return home.' 

    The Sanskrit verse from the Bhagavata Purana which the scene depicts is written on the reverse of the painting.

    When Queen Mary visited Bikaner in 1905 as Princess of Wales, she recorded in her journal seeing ‘wonderful writings and paintings’ in the Bikaner Palace (RA QM/PRIV/QMD: 27 November 1905). Ganga Singh, the Maharajah of Bikaner (1880-1943), was a regular guest of King George V and Queen Mary. On June 1913, following a luncheon at Buckingham Palace during which he was seated at the Queen’s right hand, the Maharajah presented King George V with two paintings from the Bikaner royal collection, this and RCIN 452417.
    Provenance

    Presented to King George V by Ganga Singh, the Maharajah of Bikaner, June 1913.

  • Medium and techniques

    Pencil, watercolour, bodycolour, gold and silver paint

    Measurements

    22.0 x 30.5 cm (image)

    34.7 x 41.1 cm (sight)

    37.7 x 44.1 cm (frame, external)


The income from your ticket contributes directly to The Royal Collection Trust, a registered charity. The aims of The Royal Collection Trust are the care and conservation of the Royal Collection, and the promotion of access and enjoyment through exhibitions, publications, loans and educational activities.