Krishna and Radha
late 19th–early 20th century
1 of 2
Object Label
This watercolor image is called a Kalighat painting, produced quickly and in multiples for sale in the markets around the Kali temple in Kolkata at the turn of the twentieth century. Common features of Kalighat paintings are the loose application of shading around the arms, legs, and faces of the figures and the rudimentary curtain at the top to suggest a stage or altar setting. Indian modernist artists of the early twentieth century would cite Kalighat paintings as a source of inspiration, noting that their Indian predecessors were abstracting the human form even before European painters.
Caption
Krishna and Radha, late 19th–early 20th century. Watercolors on paper with polished tin accents, 16 x 10 1/2 in. (40.6 x 26.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Dr. Bertram H. Schaffner, 2000.98.3. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Title
Krishna and Radha
Date
late 19th–early 20th century
Geography
Place made: Calcutta, West Bengal, India
Medium
Watercolors on paper with polished tin accents
Classification
Dimensions
16 x 10 1/2 in. (40.6 x 26.7 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Dr. Bertram H. Schaffner
Accession Number
2000.98.3
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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