Krishna

mid 20th century

Painting, opaque watercolour on paper, illustration to a Braj poem, by Sur Das, showing Krishna and eight gopis sporting in a courtyard. The figures stand on a terrace in front of two pavilions, with a garden in the immediate foreground, Krishna stands before them with his flute in his left hand and a garland around his neck, he wears a transparent jama over orange pyjama with golden turban. The nearest gopi embraces him while the others look on in adoration; behind them, into the larger of the two pavilions, are set niches, containing coloured glass bottles. The smallest of the two is shown open and a bed within, between the two a brick wall is visible and above it rise trees and a narrow area of dark blue sky. The whole is contained within a yellow border, and an outer red margin.