Krishna playing with the gopis, folio from a Rasikpriya

Between two trees Krishna, wearing a gold crown, dances with two gopis, while another watches. In the foreground a confidant speaks to Radha seated outside a building.

Maker(s)
Artist: Ruknuddin (active ca. 1650-1697)
Historical period(s)
dated 1686 (Samvat 1743)
School
Bikaner school
Medium
Opaque watercolor and gold on paper
Dimensions
H x W (painting): 19.3 × 13.5 cm (7 5/8 × 5 5/16 in) H x W (overall): 26.2 × 18.4 cm (10 5/16 × 7 1/4 in)
Geography
India, Rajasthan state, Bikaner
Credit Line
Purchase and partial gift from the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection — funds provided by the Friends of the Freer and Sackler Galleries
Collection
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
Accession Number
S2018.1.43
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Painting
Type

Painting

Keywords
Gopi, India, Krishna, Radha, Ralph and Catherine Benkaim collection, Rasikapriya
Provenance

To 1967
Sri Moti Chand Khajanchi, Bikaner [1]

1967
Nowlakah, Calcutta [2]

From 1967 to 2001
Ralph Benkaim (1914-2001), purchased from Nowlakah, Calcutta in December 1967 [3]

From 2001 to 2018
Catherine Glynn Benkaim, Beverly Hills, California, by inheritance from Ralph Benkaim in 2001

From 2018
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, partial gift and purchase from Catherine Glynn Benkaim

Notes:

[1] According to information from Catherine Glynn Benkaim.

[2] Ralph Benkaim purchased the painting from Nowlakah, Calcutta in December 1967, several years before Indian paintings were classified as antiquities by the Indian government, according to his personal records, as relayed by Catherine Glynn Benkaim.

[3] See note 2.

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Nowlakah
Sri Moti Chand Khajanchi India, Bikaner
Ralph (1914-2001) and Catherine Benkaim
Catherine Glynn Benkaim

Description

Between two trees Krishna, wearing a gold crown, dances with two gopis, while another watches. In the foreground a confidant speaks to Radha seated outside a building.

Inscription(s)

Verso: in nagari script: rukdin ro sam. 1743 pota raskapriya am.52. By Ruknuddin, folio 52 of the Rasikpriya done in vs. 1743/a.d.1686

Collection Area(s)
South Asian and Himalayan Art
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