Artwork
Five Poses of Krishna Making Love, from a Bikaner Bhagavata Purana
Five Poses of Krishna Making Love, from a Bikaner Bhagavata Purana is an unspecified painting. It dates from 1600 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. This painting, titled Five Poses of Krishna Making Love, originates from a Bikaner Bhagavata Purana manuscript.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting illustrates Krishna in five loving poses drawn from the Bhagavata Purana, a Hindu scripture recounting the deity's early life.
The painting illustrates Krishna in five loving poses drawn from the Bhagavata Purana, a Hindu scripture recounting the deity's early life. Created in the Bikaner court around 1600, it belongs to the Cleveland Museum of Art's collection and exemplifies Rajput miniature style. The composition emphasizes Krishna's role as a lover and divine figure, reflecting the devotional themes of the text.
As part of a manuscript, the work functions both as narrative illustration and as an expression of divine love within the tradition.
History & Provenance
The painting originates from Bikaner State, where it was created around 1600 as part of a manuscript of the Bhagavata Purana. It is now held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art under accession number 2018.187. No further details of intermediate ownership, commission, or acquisition history are documented in the available sources.
Context
The miniature titled Five Poses of Krishna Making Love originates from a Bikaner Bhagavata Purana manuscript and is dated to around 1600, placing it within the early seventeenth-century Rajput painting tradition of northern India.
It is housed in the Cleveland Museum of Art (accession 2018.187) and exemplifies the Bikaner school's characteristic blend of narrative clarity, naturalistic figure modeling, and rich palette, features that scholars use to trace the development of devotional illustration in the region.
Although no direct contemporary criticism survives, later art historical studies reference the work as a key example of how Krishna narratives were visualized in Bikaner courts, informing broader discussions of religious imagery and court patronage in Indian art history.
Legacy
The painting, dated around 1600 and produced in Bikaner State, entered the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is catalogued as 2018.187. Its status as a devotional miniature from the Bhagavata Purana has made it a reference point for scholars studying Rajput visual culture.
Inclusion in a prominent museum's holdings has amplified scholarly attention to the work's stylistic links to Bikaner miniatures and its role in the transmission of Krishna imagery, contributing to broader discussions of devotional art in Indian painting.
Overview
This painting, titled Five Poses of Krishna Making Love, originates from a Bikaner Bhagavata Purana manuscript. It features five distinct circular vignettes, each depicting the blue-skinned deity Krishna in an intimate encounter with a woman. The scenes are set within an ornate palace, characterized by vibrant colors and intricate details, reflecting a specific narrative from Hindu mythology.
Technique & Style
The painting employs a striking visual vocabulary, utilizing bold reds, blues, and golds to create a vivid palette. Each circular frame presents a meticulously detailed interior, featuring red palace walls, yellow architectural arches, and green roofs. Figures are centrally placed, adorned in elaborately patterned garments, as are the furnishings.
A notable scene depicts the couple suspended on a swing amidst hanging ropes, demonstrating a dynamic compositional element within the overall decorative scheme.
Artist & collection
The Approach of Krishna. Page from a Rasamanjari
The Approach of Krishna. Page from a Rasamanjari
Untitled
Raja Ajmer Chand of Bilaspur
Hindola Raga
Madhava Faces a Man Holding a Scale, from a Madhavanala Kamakandala
Krishna and Radha
Prince and Lady in Palace Scene with Musicians
King Bikramaditya Summons Madhava, from a Madhavanala Kamakandala
