Krishna Celebrates Holi
Unknown Artist
c. 1770
Medium
gum tempera, gold, and silver on paper
Dimensions
image: 15.5 × 23.8 cm · page: 21 × 29.4 cm
Classification
Painting
Department
Indian and Southeast Asian Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Purchase and partial gift from the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection; Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund
Accession Number
2018.104
About this artwork
The two groups, one led by Krishna and the other by his lover Radha, are shooting water guns and throwing gulal, a powdery color at each other, in celebration of the spring festival known as Holi. A few herdsmen (gopas) cheer for their group by banging drums and blowing trumpets (ranasanga) of the type played on the proclamation of battle in the Pahari region of the western Himalayas, where this painting was made.