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Radha’s Confidante Brings Her to Krishna, based on poetry of Bihari (Indian, 1595–1663)

Unknown

1795

unspecified

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Mughal Painting Romanticism 18th Century Mythology

Dominant colour

Radha’s Confidante Brings Her to Krishna, based on poetry of Bihari (Indian, 1595–1663) is a 1795 unspecified by Unknown, a Mughal Painting work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Unknown
When & what style?: 1795 · Mughal Painting
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

You see two women sneaking through a garden at night, heading toward a blue-skinned man under a flowered canopy. The scene glows with deep reds, golds, and greens, like a secret party lit by lanterns. This painting illustrates a moment from old Hindi love poems. The ruler of Jaipur likely ordered it—he loved Persian carpets, and you can spot the same patterns here. The artist kept the faces soft and the details tiny, a style from Rajasthan. If you like this quiet romance, look up the subject rajput kingdom of jaipur.

The story of this work

Overview

The blue god Krishna has spread a carpet and set up a canopy in a secret grove to create the space for a romantic tryst with his lover Radha. The wine-colored carpet with allover floral patterns match the canopy, and they are Persian in design. The ruler of the Hindu kingdom of Jaipur, who may have commissioned this painting, had an important collection of Persian carpets and textiles. Wine-and-gold curtains have been unrolled to cover the windows of the house behind Radha and her companion, indicating that she has left the house in secret after it has been closed up for the night.