Art Institute of Chicago
Krishna Fluting for the Gopis
India
- Date
- Late 18th or early 19th century
- Medium
- Opaque watercolor, gold and tin alloy on paper
- Culture
- Jodhpur
- Department
- Arts of Asia
- Institution
- Art Institute of Chicago
In a lush grove traversed by a silver stream filled with leaping fish and blooming lotuses, the blue-skinned Krishna woos his devoted gopi s (female cowherds) by playing music on his bansuri (bamboo flute). The gopi s’ infatuation with Krishna serves as a metaphor for the unconditional attachment ( bhakti ) of a devotee to their lord. Through personal adoration, they can attain union with the supreme deity. The theme of devotion is echoed in the pairs of waterfowl clustered around the river bank in the foreground. The painting’s large format and thumbprint foliage are characteristic of Jodhpur, capital of the erstwhile kingdom of Marwar in present-day Rajasthan and home to one of the distinguished traditions of Rajput painting.
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- Object type
- AAT300033618
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