The Heroine Who Waits Anxiously for Her Absent Lover: Utka Nayika
Unknown Artist
c. 1760–65
Medium
Gum tempera and gold on paper
Dimensions
image: 25.2 × 16.6 cm · page: 26.3 × 17.8 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
2018.114
About this artwork
In the hilly and verdant landscape all around her, birds and animals are all in pairs—even many of the trees have doubles—but she remains alone, waiting on a bed of leaves for her lover to arrive. She has no way of knowing when he will come, like the devotee has no way to know when god will arrive and bring salvation and bliss.