Arkivism
Friends of Krishna, folio 163 from a Bhakti Ratnavali of Vishnu Puri
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Friends of Krishna, folio 163 from a Bhakti Ratnavali of Vishnu Puri

1725–50 · Gum tempera and gold on paper

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.

About this work

In the upper left vignette, the blue-skinned Krishna sits with two of his friends before Nanda, his foster father and head of the cowherd village in Braj, where he spent his youth. Below, he interacts with three adoring cows. The scene in the upper right corner accords with the end of the verse at the top of the page, which reads, “The one who speaks about him to his wife and son at home will never be abandoned by him.” The text is drawn from a compendium of devotional verses excerpted from the extensive Bhagavata Purana by the medieval commentator Vishnu Puri.

Cleveland Museum of Art’s own description
Credit lineFriends of Krishna, folio 163 from a Bhakti Ratnavali of Vishnu Puri, 1725–50. Northwestern India, Rajasthan, Rajput Kingdom of Mewar. Gum tempera and gold on paper; overall: 26.5 x 42.2 cm (10 7/16 x 16 5/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Louise G. Schroeder, 1970.510

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