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Friends of Krishna, folio 163 from a Bhakti Ratnavali of Vishnu Puri

Unknown

1738

unspecified

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Baroque Mughal Painting 18th Century Religious

Dominant colour

Friends of Krishna, folio 163 from a Bhakti Ratnavali of Vishnu Puri is a 1738 unspecified by Unknown, a Baroque work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Unknown
When & what style?: 1738 · Baroque
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

You see Krishna, blue-skinned and smiling, sitting with two friends while cows nuzzle him below. This tiny painting comes from a book of devotional verses. The artist packed two moments into one page: Krishna visiting his foster father above, and a promise from the poem at the top. The cows aren’t just scenery—they’re part of the story, showing how close Krishna is to village life. If you like this quiet, story-filled style, look up rajput kingdom of mewar.

The story of this work

Overview

In the upper left vignette, the blue-skinned Krishna sits with two of his friends before Nanda, his foster father and head of the cowherd village in Braj, where he spent his youth. Below, he interacts with three adoring cows. The scene in the upper right corner accords with the end of the verse at the top of the page, which reads, “The one who speaks about him to his wife and son at home will never be abandoned by him.” The text is drawn from a compendium of devotional verses excerpted from the extensive Bhagavata Purana by the medieval commentator Vishnu Puri.

Did you know?

The entire background has been painted with the pigment known as Indian yellow, which CMA conservators identified by observing its bright fluorescence under ultraviolet light.

Read the full account in the museum source.