Kama and Rati Witness the Reunion of Krishna and Radha, Page from a Gita Govinda Series
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Object Label
The Gita Govinda is a poem written by the twelfth-century poet Jayadeva. It describes the tumultuous love between the god Krishna and the milkmaid Radha. With its melding of romantic and religious sentiments, the Gita Govinda explores an important form of bhakti (devotion), in which a worshipper’s intense relationship with god is compared to a passionate love affair. This illustration from the poem shows Krishna three times: alone; cavorting with a group of women; and then finally reunited with his beloved Radha.
Caption
Indian. Kama and Rati Witness the Reunion of Krishna and Radha, Page from a Gita Govinda Series, 1714. Opaque watercolor and gold on paper, sheet: 10 x 16 15/16 in. (25.4 x 43.0 cm); image: 8 7/8 x 15 5/8 in. (22.5 x 39.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Anthony A. Manheim, 1999.136.6. No known copyright restrictions (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 1999.136.6_PS1.jpg)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Culture
Title
Kama and Rati Witness the Reunion of Krishna and Radha, Page from a Gita Govinda Series
Date
1714
Geography
Place made: Rajasthan, India
Medium
Opaque watercolor and gold on paper
Classification
Dimensions
sheet: 10 x 16 15/16 in. (25.4 x 43.0 cm); image: 8 7/8 x 15 5/8 in. (22.5 x 39.7 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Anthony A. Manheim
Accession Number
1999.136.6
Rights
No known copyright restrictions
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Frequent Art Questions
Why is the color blue particularly important for representing gods in Hindu art ? Why not yellow or green? Are other colors associated with something else? Cheers- Claudia from Germany.
Many Hindu gods are blue, including Vishnu in several of his forms. This is the color he has traditionally been described as in Hindu texts. Some scholars believe that the color is a reference to his home above the clouds. His blue skin could also reference a primordial ocean similarly linked textually to Vishnu, which existed before the gods are said to have created land and the creatures who live on it. Some of the other blue deities you see in Hinduism are actually earthly avatars of Vishnu, and are blue because they are part of the same god. However, this is not true of all blue Hindu gods.Thanks a lot, this service is great!
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