Artwork Page for Radha and Krishna meet in the forest during a storm

Details / Information for Radha and Krishna meet in the forest during a storm

Radha and Krishna meet in the forest during a storm

c. 1770

India, Bengal, Mughal, 18th century

Medium
Gum tempera and gold on paper
Measurements
Page: 26.1 x 37.4 cm (10 1/4 x 14 3/4 in.)
Credit Line
Gift in honor of Madeline Neves Clapp; Gift of Mrs. Henry White Cannon by exchange; Bequest of Louise T. Cooper; Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund; From the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection 2013.352
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
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Did You Know?

The belly of the white cow has been colored orange with henna.

Description

This painting depicts the Hindu deity Krishna as a youth among the villagers of the cowherding community where he grew up. Drawn to him, the women hurry to hold a coverlet over him in protection from the rain, not realizing that he is able to lift a mountain to shield them all. Birds and monkeys populate the trees, and a Hindu temple and palace buildings stand in the background. This vibrant work was probably made for an aristocratic Hindu ruler of territories in eastern India during the period when Mughal artists dispersed from the imperial center after the invasion of Delhi in 1739.
A horizontally oriented gum tempera and gold painting depicts a dense forest under dark clouds. At the center, Krishna, with medium-dark skin and a gold halo, wears an orange robe. Beside him, Radha wears gold garments. They are surrounded by women with light skin tones and white cows amidst leafy trees. Peacocks and a stream occupy the foreground, while white buildings appear in the distance on the left beneath a heavy, stormy sky.

Radha and Krishna meet in the forest during a storm

c. 1770

India, Bengal, Mughal, 18th century

See Also

  • Collection
    Indian
  • Department
    Indian and Southeast Asian Art
  • Type of artwork
    Painting
  • Medium
    Tempera
  • Credit line
    Gift In Honor of Madeline Neves Clapp; Gift of Mrs. Henry White Cannon by Exchange; Bequest of Louise T. Cooper; Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund; From the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection

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