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Krishna sporting with the gopis in the Jumna River, from a Bhagavata Purana
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
Abstract concentric circles depict water churned up by the gopis , or cowherd women, who are swimming and playing with joy and abandon. In their midst, the blue-skinned Krishna reaches for a gopi’s breast. Their love play is celebrated by celestial beings in the sky who offer flower garlands and beat on a drum. Every figure’s face is shown in profile—a hallmark of Indian painting of the early 1500s perpetuated by artists wishing to emphasize Indian rather than Persian depictions of the human form.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineKrishna sporting with the gopis in the Jumna River, from a Bhagavata Purana, c. 1525–40. Northern India. Gum tempera and ink on paper; overall: 16.5 x 22.2 cm (6 1/2 x 8 3/4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Alvin N. Haas, 1971.171
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