A yogi seated on a tiger skin

Mandi artists used a direct, folkish style. Sometimes the drawings are done with thick black outlines filled in with colour wash. The backgrounds are often flat and dense with dark browns and blues. In Mandi, Shiva was an important deity so myths and stories about Shiva and Parvati are common in the paintings.

It was not uncommon for a ruler to arrange a portrait of a mystic or guru. Here the guru is shown in meditation, his frailness indicating that he is fasting. His left hand is on his begging bowl made from a human skull. Round his legs is the sash used in meditation. The tiger skin often symbolises Shiva and the inscription (in takri script) indicates that he is Adintha, a member of the Nath sect of yogis. His crystal earrings and horn pendant also indicate this. The plain red border and flat background are typical of Pahari Hindu paintings but the green colour shows Mughal influence.

Description taken from the ‘Art From The Indian Sub-Continent In The Sainsbury Centre’ catalogue by Margaret A. Willey (Sainsbury Centre, UEA, 1995).