Radha and Krishna thumbnail 1
Radha and Krishna thumbnail 2
Not currently on display at the V&A

Radha and Krishna

Painting
1634 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This painting is an illustration to the Hindi text the Rasikapriya ('A Connoisseur's Delight'). The author, Keshav Das, wrote it in Orchha in Madhya Pradesh in 1591. It is concerned mainly with love and types of lovers, and these are usually represented by the Hindu god Krishna and his mortal lover, Radha. Here, Krishna, recognisable by his blue skin, is seated before Radha against a plain red background between stylized trees. A monkey, a deer and a bird are also present. This set has a colophon (in a private collection) which gives the date of completion as 1634. A colophon is a short text at the end of a set of paintings that gives the date and place where it was completed. The sparse, simple style is typical of paintings done in Malwa, Central India (today's Madhya Pradesh), throughout much of the 17th century.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleRadha and Krishna (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Opaque watercolour on paper
Brief description
Painting, Rasikapriya illustration, Radha approaches Krishna, opaque watercolour on paper, Malwa, series dated 1634
Physical description
Painting, in opaque watercolour on paper, illustration from Kesav Das' Rasikapriya, Radha approaches Krishna in a grove. Radha wears a striped blue, red and white skirt and yellow choli, a deer stands to the right of the couple, and a monkey to the left. Almost identical to IS.26-1958.
Dimensions
  • Height: 195mm
  • Width: 164mm
  • Paper onto which object mounted height: 253mm
  • Paper onto which object mounted width: 215mm
  • Image within innermost painted borders height: 105mm
  • Image within innermost painted borders width: 136mm
12/06/2013 dimensions measured as part of Indian Paintings Cataloguing Project
Content description
Rasikapriya illustration, Radha approaches Krishna in a grove.
Style
Marks and inscriptions
(undeciphered text above and below image)
Credit line
Given by John Goelet, Esq.
Object history
Nominal File: MA/1/G979
Subjects depicted
Literary referenceRasikapriya
Summary
This painting is an illustration to the Hindi text the Rasikapriya ('A Connoisseur's Delight'). The author, Keshav Das, wrote it in Orchha in Madhya Pradesh in 1591. It is concerned mainly with love and types of lovers, and these are usually represented by the Hindu god Krishna and his mortal lover, Radha. Here, Krishna, recognisable by his blue skin, is seated before Radha against a plain red background between stylized trees. A monkey, a deer and a bird are also present. This set has a colophon (in a private collection) which gives the date of completion as 1634. A colophon is a short text at the end of a set of paintings that gives the date and place where it was completed. The sparse, simple style is typical of paintings done in Malwa, Central India (today's Madhya Pradesh), throughout much of the 17th century.
Associated object
IS.26-1958 (Series)
Bibliographic reference
Swallow, Deborah and John Guy eds. Arts of India: 1550-1900. text by Rosemary Crill, John Guy, Veronica Murphy, Susan Stronge and Deborah Swallow. London : V&A Publications, 1990. 240 p., ill. ISBN 1851770224, p.135, pl.116.
Collection
Accession number
IS.86-1958

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Record createdFebruary 3, 2003
Record URL
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