Krishna & Radha in the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, June 2018

Krishna and Radha (Primary Title)

Unknown (Artist)

Date: ca. 1760-80

Culture: Indian

Category: Paintings, Works On Paper

Medium: opaque watercolor on paper

Collection: South Asian Art

Geography: Rajasthan, Kishangarh, India

Dimensions: Sheet: 7 1/2 × 5 3/4 in. (19.05 × 14.61 cm)
Mat: 20 × 16 in. (50.8 × 40.64 cm)

Object Number: 68.8.106

Though early textual sources make only brief mention of a favorite gopi, later devotional literature overflows with accounts of Krishna’s adored Radha. Their love began when they were young children and later erupted into a highly charged passionate affair. Metaphorically, their frequent trysts in the forest reference the soul’s (Radha’s) ardent desire for union with God (Krishna). In the dreamlike style practiced by artists from Kishangarh, this painting depicts Krishna, Radha, and one of her companions meeting in a glade. The yellowish greens of the ethereal palette, the otherworldliness of the lovers’ elegantly stylized faces, and the seeming weightlessness of their longrobed bodies perfectly capture the transcendent qualities of the divine relationship.

Text from: www.vmfa.museum/piction/6027262-79572376