Krishna was painted by Chokha in 1813.

Where can I see Krishna?

Krishna is held by Victoria and Albert Museum.

What movement is Krishna?

Krishna is associated with Patna School of Painting.

Artwork

Krishna

Chokha , 1813

Krishna is a paint painting by the Patna School of Painting artist Chokha. It dates from 1813 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

About this work

Overview

The composition includes village women observing from an upper level and the deities Shiva and Brahma positioned in a grove to the right.

This watercolor, attributed to the early‑nineteenth‑century painter Chokha, depicts the Hindu deity Krishna as a youthful cowherd returning with his herd at dusk. The composition includes village women observing from an upper level and the deities Shiva and Brahma positioned in a grove to the right. The work remains unfinished, suggesting it may have served as a preparatory study for a later, fully realized version dated 1813.

Subject & Meaning

The scene captures a favored motif in Indian art: the ‘hour of cow‑dust’, the twilight moment when dust stirred by the cattle fills the air. Krishna’s role as a pastoral guardian is emphasized by the surrounding figures, while the inclusion of Shiva and Brahma links the everyday activity to a broader divine context.

Technique & Style

Executed in delicate watercolor, the piece employs subtle gradations of tone characteristic of the sfumato approach, allowing forms to merge softly into one another. The unfinished areas reveal underdrawings and tentative washes, indicating a working process rather than a final polished surface.

History & Provenance

Chokha was active in the courts of Maharana Bhim Singh of Mewar and the ruler of Deogarh, both in Rajasthan. The painting’s attribution rests on stylistic parallels with a signed work from 1813 held in an Indian collection, suggesting it may be a preliminary sketch for that later piece.

Context

During the early 1800s, regional courts in Rajasthan patronized artists who blended courtly aesthetics with traditional religious themes. Depictions of Krishna’s pastoral exploits were popular among elite patrons, reflecting both devotional interests and a taste for idyllic rural imagery.