The Gopis Plead with Krishna to Return Their Clothing: Folio from "Isarda" Bhagavata Purana
ca. 1560–65
Medium
Opaque watercolor and ink on paper
Dimensions
Image: 7 3/8 × 10 1/8 in. (18.7 × 25.7 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Culture
North India (Delhi -Agra area)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of The H. Rubin Foundation Inc., 1972
Accession Number
1972.260
Tags
Art Historical Context
This vibrant folio from the “Isarda” Bhagavata Purana captures a beloved episode from Hindu scripture. Painted in North India around 0–65, it shows Krishna perched in a tree with the gopis’ garments while the young women stand waist-deep in the river, their hands raised in playful supplication. The scene illustrates the divine’s teasing affection and the soul’s longing for union with the sacred—a central theme in devotional literature of the period. Created with opaque watercolor and delicate ink lines on paper, the painting exemplifies the luminous palette and rhythmic compositions favored b...