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Krishna Disguised as a Musician Playing a Vina Approaches Radha
Krishna Disguised as a Musician Playing a Vina Approaches Radha
Image © Worcester Art Museum, all rights reserved.

Krishna Disguised as a Musician Playing a Vina Approaches Radha

Artist
Artist
Date1668-1672
Mediumwatercolor on paper
Dimensions32.5 x 23.8 cm (12 13/16 x 9 3/8 in.)
ClassificationsNon-Western Miniatures
Credit LineGift of Alexander H. Bullock
Object number1958.43
Descriptionpossibly Bundi
Label TextAgainst a background of luxuriant foliage, Krishna comes forward disguised as a female musician to play his vina for Radha. She sits shyly on the edge of a terrace, pulling a gold veil over her face. In the lotus pond below, a boat, presumably Krishna’s, awaits the loving pair. Radha’s and Krishna’s relationship is an allegory of man’s path to God. The language of the spiritual quest—the first meeting, dalliances, separations, frustrations, and the final consummation—is the language of profane love. The brilliant colors (reds, oranges, yellows, greens) and the wild, frenzied foliage with its suggestive banana leaves are typical of the Bundi tradition as a whole and make the overall effect of the painting immensely powerful. ProvenanceAlexander H. Bullock, Worcester MA
On View
Not on view