Krishna
Painting
ca. 1813 (made)
ca. 1813 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This delicate water-colour scene is attributed to the artist Chokha, who worked for Maharana Bhim Singh of Mewar in Rajasthan, and also for the ruler of the nearby smaller state of Deogarh. It shows the god Krishna in his youthful role as a cowherd, bringing the herd home after a day's grazing. This time of day is known as the 'hour of cow-dust' in India and is a favourite subject for paintings. The village ladies watch his arrival from an upper storey, and the gods Shiva and Brahma are seen in a grove to the right of the scene. The painting is unfinished, and it may be a preparatory sketch for a very similar painting (in an Indian collection) which is inscribed with Chokha's name and the date 1813 AD.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Krishna (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Painted in watercolour and gold on paper |
| Brief description | Painting, the Hour of Cowdust, Krishna returning in the evening with cattle, probably by Chokha, opaque watercolour and gold on paper, Mewar, ca. 1813 |
| Physical description | Unfinished water-colour drawing of Krishna bringing a herd of cows home in the evening, accompanied by two cowherds. Ladies look down on him from an upper window, and the gods Shiva and Brahma are in attendance on the right. Possibly a sketch for a slightly different painting in the Cowarji Jahangir Collection, Bombay, which is ascribed to Chikha and dated V. S. 1870 (A. D. 1813). |
| Dimensions |
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| Content description | Krishna bringing a herd of cows home in the evening, accompanied by two cowherds. Ladies look down on him from an upper window, and the gods Shiva and Brahma are in attendance on the right. |
| Credit line | Purchased with Art Fund support |
| Production | Painted at Deogarh or Udaipur |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This delicate water-colour scene is attributed to the artist Chokha, who worked for Maharana Bhim Singh of Mewar in Rajasthan, and also for the ruler of the nearby smaller state of Deogarh. It shows the god Krishna in his youthful role as a cowherd, bringing the herd home after a day's grazing. This time of day is known as the 'hour of cow-dust' in India and is a favourite subject for paintings. The village ladies watch his arrival from an upper storey, and the gods Shiva and Brahma are seen in a grove to the right of the scene. The painting is unfinished, and it may be a preparatory sketch for a very similar painting (in an Indian collection) which is inscribed with Chokha's name and the date 1813 AD. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | IS.14-1994 |
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| Record created | January 13, 2006 |
| Record URL |
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