New publication: Jean-Philippe Vogel, Collector of Pahari Artworks.

In Aziatisch Kunst, Jaargang 54, nr.1, maart 2024.

My latest article, published in Aziatisch Kunst 54, nr. 1, 2024, explores the collecting practices of Jean-Philippe Vogel, a Dutch sanskritist and archaeologist who was superintendent of the Panjab, Baluchistan and Ajmir circle from 1901 to 1910, then acting director general of the Archeological Survey of India from 1910 to 1912. During his tenure, he collected 134 Pahari works and drawings, which are now kept at the Wereldmuseum in Leiden. The research into the provenance of these works was part of a larger project dedicated to material study and conservation which was funded by Metamorfoze Netherlands. 

While the contribution of the Dutch Sanskritist and epigraphist Prof. Jean Philippe Vogel (1871- 1958) to South Asian archaeology and Sanskrit studies is internationally recognised, very little is known about his collections of Indian works on paper. During his tenure as Superintendent of the Panjab, Baluchistan, and Ajmir Circle from 1901 to 1910, and then as acting Director General of the A.S.I. from 1910 to 1912, Vogel amassed a collection of 134 works on paper from the Punjab Hills, commonly referred to as ‘Pahari miniature paintings.’ The works were bequeathed to the Dutch state in 1953 and are now kept at the Wereldmuseum Leiden. The collection consists
primarily of drawings on local handmade paper, portraying Hindu narratives (Ramayana, Ballad of Amir Hath, Vikramaditya, Karata-Arjuna, etc.), personifications of musical modes and poetry (Ragamalas), heroines (Nakiya), and portraits of rulers and historical figures. While in his diaries Vogel chronicled his interminable travels, sleeping problems, difficult weather conditions, and the names of people with whom he dined, information on what he called his ‘pictures’ is surprisingly scarce. However, other sources, including annotations found on the versos of certain works, a handful of documents given to the museum on the occasion of the bequest, and Vogel’s own published works, offer valuable insights into how he assembled his modest yet interesting collection.

Available here