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Radha and Krishna meet in the forest during a storm
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
This painting depicts the Hindu deity Krishna as a youth among the villagers of the cowherding community where he grew up. Drawn to him, the women hurry to hold a coverlet over him in protection from the rain, not realizing that he is able to lift a mountain to shield them all. Birds and monkeys populate the trees, and a Hindu temple and palace buildings stand in the background. This vibrant work was probably made for an aristocratic Hindu ruler of territories in eastern India during the period when Mughal artists dispersed from the imperial center after the invasion of Delhi in 1739.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineRadha and Krishna meet in the forest during a storm, c. 1770. India, Bengal, Mughal, 18th century. Gum tempera and gold on paper; page: 26.1 x 37.4 cm (10 1/4 x 14 3/4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift in honor of Madeline Neves Clapp; Gift of Mrs. Henry White Cannon by exchange; Bequest of Louise T. Cooper; Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund; From the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection, 2013.352
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