Krishna Steals the Gopis’ Clothing: Page from a Dispersed Bhagavata Purana Manuscript

ca. 1620–30

Not on view

This early Mewari manuscript tells of Krishna’s exploits as recounted in the tenth book of the Bhagavata Purana. Here, the young Krishna has stolen the Gopis’ clothing while they were bathing and is shown sitting in a kadamba tree teasing the naked cowherdesses shivering in the cold water. As in many sections of this text, social conventions and family obligations are challenged, as the true devotee must abandon all attachments in order to be one with God. The vitality and color palette of the compositions in this manuscript link them to the painting traditions of Malwa, while the early figures types are analogous to those of Gujarat.

Artwork Details

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Exhibition History

Title: Krishna Steals the Gopis’ Clothing: Page from a Dispersed Bhagavata Purana Manuscript
Date: ca. 1620–30
Culture: India (Rajasthan, Mewar)
Medium: Ink and opaque watercolor on paper
Dimensions: 9 1/4 x 15 7/8 in. (23.5 x 40.3 cm)
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. J. Gordon Douglas III, 1984
Object Number: 1984.476
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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