A PAINTING OF GANESHA WITH RIDDHI AND SIDDHIINDIA, PUNJAB HILLS, KANGRA, CIRCA 1840107⁄8 x 137⁄8 in. (27.6 x 35.2 cm.) (folio)‌8 x 11 in. (20.3 x 27.9 cm.) (image)Details107⁄8 x 137⁄8 in. (27.6 x 35.2 cm.) (folio)‌8 x 11 in. (20.3 x 27.9 cm.) (image)This painting depicts a delightfully enthroned Ganesha flanked by Riddhi and Siddhi, goddesses personifying the concepts of prosperity and spirituality. Ganesha sits casually on a divan set in the midst of a palace courtyard and holds a bowl of snacks he feeds out of with his trunk. His vahana, the rat, crouches expectantly underneath Ganesha, waiting for its turn to indulge in dropped sweets. The scene is abound with playful patterns and vibrant colors. Paintings of Ganesha often acted as dedicatory frontispieces for larger commissioned series. A large Pahari frontispiece depicting Ganesha in a palatial courtyard with Riddhi and Siddhi sold at Christie’s New York, 22 September 2021, lot 456, for $25,000. ---