The Cowgirls Attend Krishna (painting, recto; text, verso), folio from a Bhagavata Purana series | Harvard Art Museums | KenAI

The Cowgirls Attend Krishna (painting, recto; text, verso), folio from a Bhagavata Purana series

ManuscriptsIndian16th century

The Cowgirls Attend Krishna (painting, recto; text, verso), folio from a Bhagavata Purana series

c. 1520 - 1540

Description

In this folio, the blue-skinned Krishna sits below a tree, surrounded by his female admirers, the Gopis. The gopis look at Krishna adoringly; in the adoration of Krishna lies the attainment of the ultimate fulfillment of their souls. Such themes were popular in the bhakti movement, which promoted unconditional love towards the divine, and here, the gopis show their love for Krishna by touching his arms and limbs. Rati, the wife of Kama (the Hindu god of erotic love, desire, pleasure, and beauty), pictured on the top-right of the folio, joins in by showering an arrow of love over the assembly. This painting belongs to the 'Dispersed' Bhagavata Purana series, produced in the early 16th century, possibly in Mathura. The series, possibly consisting of 360 such folios, is based on the tenth book of the Bhagavata Purana, which describes the story of Krishna, particularly his childhood and youth. This series was one of South Asia's earliest illustrated Bhagavata Purana manuscripts. Each illustration is also accompanied by the text corresponding to the image on the reverse, written in Sanskrit. Other folios from the same Bhagavata Purana series in the Harvard Art Museum’s collection are objects 1963.145, 1974.125, 1974.126, 1974.127, 1992.283, 1995.66, 1995.67, 1995.68. Caurapancasika-group style. Text on Verso: Bhagavata Purana, Book Ten, Chapter 32, verses 10- chapter 33, verse 1.

Classification

Manuscripts

Medium

Ink and opaque watercolor on paper

Culture

Indian

Century

16th century

Division

Asian and Mediterranean Art

Department

Department of Islamic & Later Indian Art

Dimensions

17.5 x 23.5 cm (6 7/8 x 9 1/4 in.)

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