We recently added four beautiful watercolor paintings by Khubiram Gopilal from the early 1900s to our Purathanam collection. These paintings are a remarkable collaboration between two talented artists from the early 20th century, Khubiram and Gopilal. Here’s what I found about them and how they blended traditional Nathdwara art with modern techniques, making devotional paintings more accessible and visually striking.
Who Were Khubiram & Gopilal?
Khubiram and Gopilal were well-known artists from Nathdwara, Rajasthan, home to the famous Shrinathji Temple, dedicated to Krishna in his child-god form. Nathdwara is also the birthplace of another renowned artist, Narottam Narayan Sharma (born 1896), whose famous painting Kailash Pati Shankar is also part of the Purathanam collection.
But in this blog, let’s focus on our main artists, Khubiram and Gopilal. Khubiram, born in 1891, was influenced by Academic Realism, a painting style that focused on lifelike details. He was inspired by the famous Raja Ravi Varma. On the other hand, Gopilal was an expert portrait painter who learned his skills from his uncle, the official painter for Maharana Fateh Singh of Udaipur.
Their Work & Signature Style;
Khubiram and Gopilal worked together closely and established the Khubiram–Gopilal enterprise, specializing in pichhwai and manorath paintings. Their artworks were usually signed as “Chitrakar Khubiram Gopilal”, written in small script at the bottom just like the signature seen below from one of our paintings.
Their style was a blend of realism and traditional Nathdwara aesthetics. Most of their works were created on handmade paper or canvas, using watercolor or gouache. Below are some of their finest watercolor paintings, now part of the Purathanam collection.
1. Radha Krishna - Parinay (Sacred bond) watercolor Painting by Khubiram
2. Radha Krishna - Madhura Chandni (Sweet Moonlight)
3. Radha Krishna - Nauka Vihar ( Boat ride)
4. Radha Krishna in Braj (Braj mein Radha Krishna)
Manorath Paintings & Their Unique Technique;
Later, Manorath paintings became another well-known art form associated with them. Here are some examples of Manorath paintings from the Khubiram–Gopilal enterprise.
These paintings depict families worshipping Shrinathji during the Nanda festival, which celebrates baby Krishna’s arrival at his foster parents’ home, Yashoda and Nanda. The paintings represent a daily darshan (sacred viewing), either sponsored or attended by the family.
In these paintings, the donors are shown standing next to a Pichhwai, a traditional backdrop featuring Shrinathji. Their figures were created using a photomontage technique, where their portraits were cut from photographs and pasted into the artwork. The Khubiram–Gopilal studio was one of the first to combine photography with traditional manorath paintings, bringing a new and creative touch to devotional art.
Their Legacy;
Khubiram and Gopilal’s art continues to inspire collectors and devotees even today. Their ability to mix realism with temple art made devotional paintings more accessible to people beyond the royal and priestly classes.
Many of their works, once sold as pilgrimage souvenirs, are now valuable collectibles, found in temples, private collections, and museums. If you ever visit Nathdwara, you might still find old paintings by them or hear stories about how their art became a part of the town’s spiritual and artistic heritage.
If you own a painting by Khubiram and Gopilal, you hold a piece of history, one that carries the devotion, skill, and artistic brilliance of a bygone era.
To checkout Purathanam’s Khubiram - Gopilal original water color paintings from the early 1900s click the following links;
- Radha Krishna - Parinay (Sacred bond) watercolor Painting by Khubiram
- Radha Krishna - Madhura Chandni (Sweet Moonlight) watercolor Painting by Khubiram
- Radha Krishna - Nauka Vihar ( Boat ride) watercolor Painting by Khubiram
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Radha Krishna in Braj ( Braj mein Radha Krishna) watercolor Painting by Khubiram