Artwork Page for Krishna Ferrying Radha Across the Yamuna River

Details / Information for Krishna Ferrying Radha Across the Yamuna River

Krishna Ferrying Radha Across the Yamuna River

c. 1890

Eastern India, Bengal, Kolkata, Kalighat

Medium
Gum tempera, graphite, ink, and tin on paper
Measurements
Painting only: 44.5 x 28.3 cm (17 1/2 x 11 1/8 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of William E. Ward in memory of his wife, Evelyn Svec Ward 2003.130
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
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Description

This image is taken from popular dramas where Krishna, lover of the cowgirls (gopis), disguises himself as a boatman to ferry a demure Radha, his favorite gopi. It depicts devotion and the intensity of separated lovers. The painting includes an image of another woman, dressed in white with shorn hair, possibly a widow. Krishna is portrayed as sporting a mustache and has a Prince Albert hairstyle.
A vertically oriented tempera and graphite painting on tan paper depicts three figures and a swan-headed boat on a blue river. On our left, a woman with medium-light skin tone sits inside the vessel. In the center, a woman with medium-light skin tone reaches toward the boat. On our right, a man with dark skin tone stands holding a long pole. Flat colors and silver outlines define the forms.

Krishna Ferrying Radha Across the Yamuna River

c. 1890

Eastern India, Bengal, Kolkata, Kalighat

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