Radha awaits Krishna from the Rasikapriya>

Beneath a crescent moon, a friend receives Krishna and shows him to the bedchamber where Radha awaits him.

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Historical period(s)
Sisodia dynasty, ca. 1640
Movement
Mewar Court
School
Rajput School
Medium
Opaque watercolor and gold on paper
Dimensions
H x W: 25.7 x 21.6 cm (10 1/8 x 8 1/2 in)
Geography
India, Mewar, Rajasthan state, Udaipur
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Page
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Accession Number
F1991.91
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Painting
Type

Manuscript folio

Keywords
fountain, India, Krishna, lovers, moon, Radha, Sisodia dynasty (861 - 1947), woman
Provenance
Provenance research underway.
Description

Beneath a crescent moon, a friend receives Krishna and shows him to the bedchamber where Radha awaits him.

Label

The Kavipriya(Poems of the Beloved), a Hindi poem written in the late sixteenth century, describes, as does the Rasikapriya, the various emotional situations that arise between lovers.  Painters often featured Radha and the god Krishna, the quintessential lovers, in place of secular figures.  Here, beneath a crescent moon, a friend receives Krishna and shows him to the bedchamber where Radha awaits him.  The romantic imagery is meant to evoke the longing of the soul for union with the divine.

Published References
  • Harsha V. Dehejia. Rasikapriya: Ritikavya of Keshavdas in Ateliers of Love. .
Collection Area(s)
South Asian and Himalayan Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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