Radha as king (Sri Sri Rai Raja)
This print’s Bengali title, Sri Sri Rai Raja, or Radha as King, nods to a popular literary device in Bengal Vaishnavism that inverts the roles of Krishna and Radha as an expression of their romantic love. Here the milkmaid (gopi) Radha is enthroned, holding court with Krishna (standing at left) and being regally honored by an assembly of gopis. Devotees of Bengal Vaishnavism would understand this role swapping as a play on the Radha–Krishna love theme (lila), and rejoice in the elevation of Radha. Her lowered foot rests on a lotus cushion in the manner of a god, rather than as the earthly lover of the divine Krishna. The setting mimics a theatrical stage, befitting the playful nature of this subject and its allusions to the Rasalila love-dance Krishna performed with the gopis.
Artwork Details
- Title: Radha as king (Sri Sri Rai Raja)
- Date: ca. 1885–95
- Culture: India, Kolkata, West Bengal
- Medium: Chromolithograph with watercolor on paper
- Dimensions: Image (excluding text): 11 7/8 in. × 9 in. (30.2 × 22.9 cm)
Sheet: 14 7/8 × 11 1/4 in. (37.8 × 28.6 cm) - Classification: Prints
- Credit Line: Purchase, Peter Louis and Chandru Ramchandani Gift, 2018
- Object Number: 2018.273
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
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