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Krishna Dances in the Raslila with the Gopis (Female Cowherds)

ca. 1750
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
Krishna, in the center of a whimsical celebration known as the Raslila, stands alone playing his flute while from above the gods Indra, Brahma, and Shiva shower the crowd with tiny red and white flowers. The night is said to last a billion years. In the ring, Krishna has replicated himself so that he can dance separately with each of the gopis, whose ecstasy speaks to their passionate devotion. These women personify the impermanent feminine energy (prakrti) that brings life to the material world, while existence itself is understood as “Krishna consciousness.” The ambiguous representation of space and the defined fields of color reflect an interest in abstraction present in early North Indian works. This Basohli court style influenced generations of artists who worked in the Pahari valleys.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Krishna Dances in the Raslila with the Gopis (Female Cowherds)
  • Date: ca. 1750
  • Culture: India, Punjab Hills, kingdom of Basohli
  • Medium: Opaque watercolor and gold on paper
  • Dimensions: H. 11 3/16 in. (28.4 cm)
    W. 8 1/2 in. (21.6 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Promised Gift of Steven Kossak, The Kronos Collections
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art