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Radha’s Confidante Brings Her to Krishna, based on poetry of Bihari (Indian, 1595–1663)
c. 1790–1800
- Medium
- Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper
- Classification
- Painting
- Dimensions
- Page: 28.3 x 39.4 cm (11 1/8 x 15 1/2 in.); Miniature: 21.6 x 31.4 cm (8 1/2 x 12 3/8 in.)
- Culture
- Northwestern India, Rajasthan, Rajput Kingdom of Jaipur
- Museum
- Cleveland Museum of Art, Indian and Southeast Asian Art
- Credit line
- Purchase and partial gift from the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection; Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund
- Rights
- Public domain (CC0), as the museum states it.
- Who can see it
- Tweens profiles and older: its subjects are known and suit older children. How works are placed
View at the Cleveland Museum of Art
About this work
The blue god Krishna has spread a carpet and set up a canopy in a secret grove to create the space for a romantic tryst with his lover Radha. The wine-colored carpet with allover floral patterns match the canopy, and they are Persian in design. The ruler of the Hindu kingdom of Jaipur, who may have commissioned this painting, had an important collection of Persian carpets and textiles.
Wine-and-gold curtains have been unrolled to cover the windows of the house behind Radha and her companion, indicating that she has left the house in secret after it has been closed up for the night.
