Artwork
Friends of Krishna, folio 163 from a Bhakti Ratnavali of Vishnu Puri
Friends of Krishna, folio 163 from a Bhakti Ratnavali of Vishnu Puri is an unspecified painting. It dates from 1737 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Friends of Krishna, folio 163, is a painted page from the Bhakti Ratnavali manuscript associated with the Vishnu Puri tradition.
About this work
History & Provenance
The specific commissioning patron or the detailed chain of ownership prior to its acquisition by the museum are not detailed in the provided records.
The painting titled Friends of Krishna, identified as folio 163 from a Bhakti Ratnavali of Vishnu Puri, was created in 1737. The work is attributed to an unknown artist. It is currently held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is cataloged under the accession number 1970.510.
The specific commissioning patron or the detailed chain of ownership prior to its acquisition by the museum are not detailed in the provided records.
Context
The painting Friends of Krishna, folio 163 from a Bhakti Ratnavali of Vishnu Puri, dated 1737, belongs to the devotional tradition of the Vaishnavite poet Vishnu Puri and reflects the flourishing of illustrated devotional manuscripts in 18th-century Indian religious circles. It was created as part of a larger Bhakti Ratnavali manuscript associated with the Vishnu Puri religious lineage, a context documented in scholarly references to the work's artistic and spiritual significance. The piece is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, which provides detailed provenance and curatorial context for its preservation and study.
Its classification as a painting from this period contributes to broader understanding of miniature traditions within Hindu devotional art.
Scholarship on the work emphasizes its role within the devotional manuscript tradition, situating it within the artistic output of the period rather than attributing it to a specific named artist, consistent with the anonymous authorship often seen in manuscript production of this era.
Overview
Friends of Krishna, folio 163, is a painted page from the Bhakti Ratnavali manuscript associated with the Vishnu Puri tradition. Executed on paper, the image arranges several figures in a balanced composition: a cluster of men on the left, a woman and a man on the right, and a foreground grouping of a man with two cows. A modest building and trees frame the scene, lending a calm, pastoral ambience.
Subject & Meaning
The scene illustrates a moment of devotional fellowship centered on Krishna, a common motif in Bhakti literature. The seated men likely represent devotees sharing spiritual discourse, while the woman and accompanying male figure suggest a broader community of worship. The presence of cows, sacred to Krishna, reinforces the pastoral and divine associations, emphasizing themes of harmony between humanity, animal life, and the divine.
Technique & Style
Rendered with a palette dominated by yellow, red, and green, the painting employs flat areas of color typical of Indian manuscript illumination. Figures are clothed in traditional garb, turbans on the men and jeweled adornments on the woman, delineated by fine brushwork. Architectural and arboreal elements are suggested rather than fully modeled, creating a stylized environment that supports the narrative without distracting detail.
Artist & collection
Bhaavata Purana (2 of 4 illustrations)
Krishna
Bhaavata Purana (4 of 4 illustrations)
Worship of the Gods (4 of 17)
Worship of Hindu Deities (1 of 18)
Worship of the Gods (11 of 17)
Gods and Brahmins Worshipping Durga, from the Bhagavata Purana (1 of 3)
Worship of Hindu Deities (1 of 18)
Worship of Hindu Deities (1 of 18)
