Krishna and the Gopis Gather for Rasamandala
1725
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1725
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Krishna and the Gopis Gather for Rasamandala is a 1725 unspecified by Unknown, a Baroque work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
You see a night scene by a river: Krishna, blue-skinned and crowned, stands under a full moon while women in bright saris gather around him. These women, called *gopis*, are cowherders from Krishna’s youth. The artist shows them as individuals—different skin tones, poses, and clothes—but they react as one, first joyful, then heartbroken when Krishna says he’s leaving. The story comes from Hindu devotion, where love and longing mirror the soul’s bond with the divine. Look up *rajput kingdom of kota* to see more paintings like this.
On the banks of a river full of lotus flowers, the blue god Krishna address the gopi s, women of the cowherding community where he spent his youth. At first, they approach him, smiling and delighted, proclaiming that he is the god of love, shining like the full moon above. When he tells them that he is soon leaving them, they fall to the ground, distraught. Although the figures of the gopis are painted individually, with varied skin colors and garments, they act collectively.
Read the full account in the museum source.
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