Untitled

Unknown

1760 · Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper · Asian Art

Here, dark clouds fill the sky and Krishna shelters several gopis (cow maids), alluding to his lifting of Mount Govardhana to shield the inhabitants of the village of Braj from a devastating storm sent by the god Indra. The gopis’ devotion (bhakti) to Krishna is mimicked by the cows who share in their adoration. Krishna’s pastoral activity, which was mapped for places of pilgrimage, and his erotically charged relationship with the gopis, which speaks of his passionate connection to his devotees, came to be important aspects of religious life. Accordingly, they were the subjects of paintings at many of the Rajput courts.

Artist

Unknown

Date

1760

Medium

Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper

Culture

India (Rajasthan, Jaipur)

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Purchase, Mr. and Mrs. John Wiley and Cynthia Hazen Polsky Gifts, and Rogers Fund, 1991