Name/Title
Radha and Lord KrishnaEntry/Object ID
1998.09.12Description
The painting depicts two figures, characterized by intricate patterns and vibrant colors, riding a large animal, possibly a bull, against a backdrop of stylized trees and foliage. The central figure, depicted with a darker complexion, plays a flute, with the companion figure by their side, both dressed in traditional attire.Type of Painting
WatercolorArtwork Details
Medium
Paper, WatercolorSubject
Krishna and RadhaSubject Person
Krishna, RadhaAcquisition
Accession
1998.09Source or Donor
Derek DavenportAcquisition Method
GiftCredit Line
Gift of Derek DavenportMade/Created
Time Period
Late 20th centuryEthnography
Cultural Region
Region
MadhubaniCountry
IndiaNotes
Traditionally produced by women, Madhubani/Mithila paintings are identifiable by bright colors, geometric patterning, and two-dimensionality.Inscription/Signature/Marks
Type
AttributionLocation
Upper Left CornerTranscription
Radha and Lord KrishnaLanguage
EnglishMaterial/Technique
InkType
NoteLocation
Lower Right CornerTranscription
1998.09.12 DADLanguage
EnglishLexicon
Nomenclature 4.0
Nomenclature Primary Object Term
PaintingNomenclature Class
ArtNomenclature Category
Category 08: Communication ObjectsDimensions
Height
30-1/8 inWidth
22-3/16 inProvenance
Notes
Derek Davenport (1927-2017), West Lafayette, Indiana; donated to the Purdue University Galleries in 1998Exhibition
Paintings from India: Historical and Modern (2019)Interpretative Labels
Label Type
Exhibition labelLabel
(From Paintings from India: Historical and Modern Reuff West Feb 11-22, 2019):
Lord Krishna is seen on the left playing a flute, and his consort Radha is seen on the right wearing a sari, and both are riding a bull. Bulls are very common in Hindu mythology, and although neither of these figures has the bull as his/her mount, you see the bull often. Lord Krishna is worshiped as an avatar of the God Vishnu, and Radha is a supreme goddess and avatar of Lakshmi. Radha's devotion to Krishna is a metaphor for the soul, since her devotion to Lord Krishna is seen as "a longing for spirituality and the divine."