The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 25, 2024

Krishna Exacts a Toll from the Milkmaids: Dana-Lila, from a Bhagavata Purana

Krishna Exacts a Toll from the Milkmaids: Dana-Lila, from a Bhagavata Purana

c. 1600
gum tempera and gold on paper
Page: 21.6 x 29.2 cm (8 1/2 x 11 1/2 in.)
Purchase and partial gift from the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection; Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund 2018.186
Location: not on view

Did You Know?

A red quadrangle offsets the blue-skinned god Krishna.

Description

Krishna can be seen here teasing the girls who bring pots of milk and yogurt to the Brahmin priests. Thinking it a waste of time to feed the Brahmins, Krishna waylays them, pretending to be the owner of the land where they are walking. He threatens to topple their pots if they don’t pay him a toll. An exasperated cow herder follows.
  • Paintings of Bikaner – Indian Gallery 242 Rotation. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (November 7, 2019-April 5, 2020).
  • {{cite web|title=Krishna Exacts a Toll from the Milkmaids: Dana-Lila, from a Bhagavata Purana|url=false|author=|year=c. 1600|access-date=25 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2018.186