ROB DEAN ART
Rob has worked as a specialist of Modern and Classical Indian Paintings for both Christies and Sothebys and now works independently as a gallerist, lecturer, and art consultant. In 2011 Rob became a co-founder of the auction house Pundole’s, which holds Fine Art Auctions throughout the year from its base in Mumbai.
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This year as part of Asian Art in London we are excited to be exhibiting a group of ten folios illustrating scenes from the Ramayana.
The ten folios all come from a large series of paintings collectively known as the Shangri Ramayana. The series as a whole constitutes one of the most enigmatic and scholastically complex bodies of work from the Pahari region. No scholarly consensus exists regarding its precise dating, provenance, patronage, or stylistic affiliation. Based on the narrative of Valmiki’s Ramayana, the set is arguably the most ambitious and monumental in scale among extant Pahari series. A substantial portion of the paintings is presently housed in the National Museum, New Delhi, while the remaining works are dispersed in collections across the world. The bulk of the series is known to have once belonged to Raja Raghubir Singh of Kulu, from the ‘Shangri’ branch of the ruling house—hence the appellation by which it is now recognised.
An illustration to the Shangri Ramayana,
Rama confronts Surphanaka and her demon army,
Book III, Aranyakanda,
Bahu or Jammu, India, c. 1700-1710
An illustration to the Shangri Ramayana,
Hanuman Stands on a Rocky Outcrop,
Book IV, Kishkindhakanda,
Bahu or Jammu, India, c. 1700-1710
An illustration to the Shangri Ramayana
The Monkeys carry Lakshmana in a Palanquin,
Book IV, Kishkindhakanda,
Bahu or Jammu, India, c. 1700-1710
An illustration to the Shangri Ramayana,
Sita in the Ashoka Grove,
Book V, Sundarakanda,
Bahu or Jammu, India, c. 1700-1710
An illustration to the Shangri Ramayana,
Sita surrounded by Demons,
Book V, Sundarakanda,
Bahu or Jammu, India, c. 1700-1710
An illustration to the Shangri Ramayana,
Indrajit's Magical Chariot,
Book VI, Lankakanda,
Bahu or Jammu, India, c. 1700-1710
An illustration to the Shangri Ramayana,
Sita views Rama and Lakshmana,
Book VI, Lankakanda,
Bahu or Jammu, India, c. 1700-1710
An illustration to the Shangri Ramayana
Garuda Flies Away,
Book VI, Lankakanda,
Bahu or Jammu, India, c. 1700-1710
An illustration to the Shangri Ramayana,
Rama Confers with the Monkeys
Book VI, Lankakanda,
Bahu or Jammu, India, c. 1700-1710
An illustration to the Shangri Ramayana,
Evil Omens Appear
Book VI, Lankakanda,
Bahu or Jammu, India, c. 1700-1710
