Krishna fluting, folio from a Dasavatar series
Classification
Painting
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchase and partial gift from the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection â funds provided by the Friends of the National Museum of Asian Art
Accession Number
S2018.1.60
Tags
About this artwork
Beneath an arched bower exploding with blossoming creepers and flowers, Krishna, charmingly poised on one foot, entertains attentively adoring gopis with music from his flute. The paintingâs vibrant colors, particularly the vivid red ground, and the ardently focused gazes of the lotus-eyed gopis attest to the powerful currents of emotion connecting the blue-skinned Krishna and his devotees. As an allusion to his divine status, the artist represented Krishna standing upon an open lotus flower t...