Raja Balwant Singh’s Vision of Krishna and Radha

Attributed to Nainsukh Indian

Not on view

Krishna and Radha appear as the ruler Raja Balwant Singh’s devotional vision. Nainsukh has subtly created two contrasting worlds, one occupied by the deities and the other by their devotee, who stands at the threshold. Balwant Singh looks into Krishna’s eyes and in turn receives his Lord’s grace. The setting is a terrace of the raja’s court framed by a landscape; the orange canopy invites the viewer into the divine space of the gods, who sit on a gilded, cushioned throne. This work is tremendously powerful because Nainsukh omitted embellishment and instead focused on the essential details of the narrative scene.

Raja Balwant Singh’s Vision of Krishna and Radha, Attributed to Nainsukh (active ca. 1735–78), Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper, India, Punjab Hills, kingdom of Jasrota

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