Krishna and the Gopis
Artist
Indian, Bihar Province (Indian)
Date
1970s-80sMedium
Ink, pigment on paperDimensions
- : 29 1/8 x 21 3/8 in. (73.98 x 54.29 cm)
Frame : 32 3/4 x 24 7/8 in. (83.19 x 63.18 cm)Credit Line
Gift of David Kamansky and Gerald WheatonObject Number
2014.23.229
Label
An avatar of Vishnu, Krishna is a major divinity in the Hindu religion. Gopis are female cowherds whose pure, unconditional love for Krishna is described in many Hindu legends. This painting depicts a story in which the blue-skinned Krishna plays his flute and dances with the gopis of Vrindavan. The painting belongs to a modern folk art tradition from the state of Bihar in northeastern India. For centuries, women of the Mithila region in Bihar painted sacred images and symbols on the walls of their houses to mark major festival days and life events such as births, weddings and deaths. These paintings were discovered by foreign art critics in the middle of the 20 th century and have since become widely admired for their stylized forms and bold color schemes.