The Sorrow of Radha, folio from the Tehri Garhwal series of the Gita Govinda

Radha’s crouching figure in this empty, receding landscape attests to Krishna’s absence. The poet of the Gita Govinda, Jayadeva, describes her as “lying dejected by your [Krishna’s] desertion.” Radha clings to the fantasy of being with Krishna and, like the devotee viewing this painting, is desperate for his return. In this sense, the Gita Govinda emphasizes a personal and almost selfish desire to be one with the divine, a sentiment that is expressed here in ways that had devotional impact. For example, small details like the flowering tree at the top of the work hint at Krishna’s ultimate return and, therefore, the viewer’s renewed access to him.