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Krishna's Fifth and Sixth Avatars, page from a copy of the Gitagovinda of Jayaveda

Unknown

1685

watercolor

paper

From the collection of Art Institute of Chicago

Baroque Mughal Painting Baroque Religious Krishna

Dominant colour

Krishna's Fifth and Sixth Avatars, page from a copy of the Gitagovinda of Jayaveda is a 1685 watercolor by Unknown, a Baroque work, depicting Krishna, held at Art Institute of Chicago.

Who painted this?: Unknown
When & what style?: 1685 · Baroque
Where can I see it?: Art Institute of Chicago

About this work

You see two blue-skinned gods floating on a gold-leaf sky. One rides a fish, the other a turtle. Below them, lotus flowers bloom in a dark river. This is a page from a Hindu love poem written in the 12th century. The blue figures are avatars—earthly forms—of the god Krishna. The artist used tiny brushes to layer opaque watercolor, letting each color dry before adding the next. That layering is called glazing. To see more pages like this, visit the Art Institute of Chicago.