May 24, 2016

A Ruler Seated on a Terrace Worshipping at a Shrine of Radha and Krishna

A Ruler Seated on a Terrace Worshipping at a Shrine of Radha and Krishna

c. 1800

Gum tempera and gold on paper

25.1 x 20 cm (9 7/8 x 7 7/8 in.)

Purchase and partial gift from the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection; Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund 2018.135

Location

Did you know?

Both figures have rosaries of rudraksha beads usually worn by followers of Shiva, instead of Krishna.

Description

A noble clad in a black woolen shawl and a red turban, both with delicate floral embroidery, kneels before a small shrine with icons of Krishna fluting alongside his lover Radha. An attendant dressed in white holds a fly whisk that denotes the kneeling figure’s royal status. The black sky with light horizon suggests that the sun has recently set. In spite of the individualized facial features, this noble remains unidentified.

See also

Contact us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@clevelandart.org.

To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.

All images and data available through Open Access can be downloaded for free. For images not available through Open Access, a detail image, or any image with a color bar, request a digital file from Image Services.