Untitled

The Kota Master

ca. 1720 (recto); ca. 1750–75 (verso) · Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper · Asian Art

Krishna and Radha gaze into each other’s eyes during a sunset walk. Their love is expressed by the multitude of birds, the flowering trees, and the intertwining of their bodies and garments. This quintessential Indian idea—that nature echoes human passion—is beautifully manifested in this work by a master who has successfully translated emotion into visual delight. The personification of nobles as the lovers Krishna and Radha was a popular pictorial theme in Kota and other Rajasthani courts. The subject relates to the poetry of the time.

Artist

The Kota Master

Date

ca. 1720 (recto); ca. 1750–75 (verso)

Medium

Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper

Culture

India (Rajasthan, Kota)

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Cynthia Hazen Polsky and Leon B. Polsky Fund, 2003