The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of July 20, 2026

A vertically oriented gum tempera and ink painting depicts Krishna and cowherds in deep blue water. Framed by a pink border, a diagonal brown band bisects the composition. On our left, three stylized women with light skin tones stand on a platform. To our right, cowherds with medium skin tones and Krishna, who has a dark skin tone, dive and swim. Black characters appear in a yellow margin across the top.

Krishna and the Cowherds Dive into the River, from a Rasikapriya

c. 1640

Central India, Madhya Pradesh, Malwa

gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper
Page: 20.6 x 17.8 cm (8 1/8 x 7 in.)
Purchase and partial gift from the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection; Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund 2018.126
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

The boys are shown in subtly different sizes to convey their movement through space.

Description

Krishna and seven cowherds (gopas) playfully jump into a river, depicted as a wavy tricolor band that divides the composition diagonally in half. Krishna and four others are already airborne, while three get ready to jump. Radha and her friends witness this feat in amusement from a marble platform. The milkmaids are fully dressed, while Krishna and the cowherds are wearing kaupina loincloths.
  • 1978–2018
    Catherine Glynn Benkaim and Barbara Timmer, Beverly Hills, CA, partial sale and gift to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    2018–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Life and Exploits of Krishna in Indian Paintings. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (September 1, 2021-February 6, 2022).
  • {{cite web|title=Krishna and the Cowherds Dive into the River, from a Rasikapriya|url=false|author=|year=c. 1640|access-date=20 July 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2018.126