PaintingsIndian18th century

Krishna Dancing with the Gopis, Illustration from a Gita Govinda (Songs of the Lord) series

dated 1799

Description

At the center of this painting is Krishna, the eighth avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu who is worshipped as a deity in his own right. He wears a large crown with a large plume and is also adorned with jewelry. He is encircled by a group of dancing gopis, or milkmaids. Flanking them are musicians, three on the left and two on the right. The group on the left consists of a male musician who keeps the music’s rhythm with a large stick, a female musician playing a stringed instrument known as a tanpura, and another female musician playing tabla, a type of drum. On the right are two female musicians, one playing the cymbals and the other playing a bowed, stringed instrument known as a sarangi. Pahari style.

Classification

Paintings

Medium

Opaque watercolor and gold on paper; Pahari Style

Culture

Indian

Century

18th century

Division

Asian and Mediterranean Art

Department

Department of Islamic & Later Indian Art

Dimensions

19.7 x 24.7 cm (7 3/4 x 9 3/4 in.)

Provenance

Stuart Cary Welch (by 1983 - 2008,) by descent; to his estate (2008-2009,) gift; to Harvard Art Museum. Notes: Object was part of long-term loan to Museum in 1983.