Nitai and Gaur, c. 1890
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Nitai and Gaur

c. 1890

Medium
Gum tempera, graphite, ink, and tin on paper
Classification
Painting
Dimensions
Secondary Support: 50 x 29.6 cm (19 11/16 x 11 5/8 in.); Painting only: 45.4 x 27.8 cm (17 7/8 x 10 15/16 in.)
Culture
Eastern India, Bengal, Kolkata, Kalighat
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art, Indian and Southeast Asian Art
Credit line
Gift of William E. Ward in memory of his wife, Evelyn Svec Ward
Rights
Public domain (CC0), as the museum states it.
Who can see it
Teens profiles and older: its museum says too little about what it shows to place it for younger viewers. How works are placed

View at the Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

Pictured are Gaur (the Golden One) and Nitai (he who embodies eternal bliss), Gaur’s disciple par excellence. Gaur, also known as Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, is believed by his followers to be an incarnation of Lord Krishna. Nitai is believed to be an avatar of Balarama and, therefore, the brother and friend of Krishna. They are depicted here with hands raised, chanting a devotional song.