Artwork Page for Krishna watches the milkmaids circumambulating a sacred tree: The month of Jyestha (May–June), from a Barahmasa (The Twelve Months)

Details / Information for Krishna watches the milkmaids circumambulating a sacred tree: The month of Jyestha (May–June), from a Barahmasa (The Twelve Months)

Krishna watches the milkmaids circumambulating a sacred tree: The month of Jyestha (May–June), from a Barahmasa (The Twelve Months)

c. 1760

Northwestern India, Rajasthan, Rajput Kingdom of Bundi

Medium
gum tempera on paper
Measurements
Page: 29.2 x 21 cm (11 1/2 x 8 1/4 in.)
Credit Line
Purchase and partial gift from the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection; Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund 2018.163
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
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Did You Know?

The birds and monkeys sitting around the tree are depicted in pairs, like loving couples.

Description

On the day of Jyestha Purnima, having fasted for three days, married women worship the banyan tree by circumambulating it. The goal of this ritual is to ask for a long life for their husbands. The milkmaids (gopis), having already accepted Krishna as their supreme master, are praying for his well-being, while he observed the ritual from behind the plantains.
A vertically oriented oil painting depicts a vibrant gathering in the countryside landscape. In the center, numerous stylized women with light skin tones circle a large tree atop a tiered platform where two monkeys rest. On our left, Krishna with light skin tone stands amidst brushy foliage. Thin layers of paint and muted tones define the rounded hills and birds in the background. The composition is busy with patterns, reflecting a lively outdoor scene.

Krishna watches the milkmaids circumambulating a sacred tree: The month of Jyestha (May–June), from a Barahmasa (The Twelve Months)

c. 1760

Northwestern India, Rajasthan, Rajput Kingdom of Bundi

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