Javascript must be enabled to continue!
Krishna and the Cowherds, Radha and the Gopis
View through Harvard Museums
The painting can be divided into three vignettes. In the top right is Krishna, the eighth avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu who is worshipped as a deity in his own right, amongst his fellow cowherds and their cows. In the bottom right, is Radha, Krishna’s consort holding up a lotus blossom. The lotus is an attribute of both Krishna and Vishnu. She is with her fellow gopis (milkmaids). On the left is a village scene, which is dominated by a female figure spinning yarn and facing an elderly woman with a baby. Pahari Style.
Department of Islamic & Later Indian Art
Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum Gift of John Kenneth Galbraith
Title: Krishna and the Cowherds, Radha and the Gopis
Description:
The painting can be divided into three vignettes.
In the top right is Krishna, the eighth avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu who is worshipped as a deity in his own right, amongst his fellow cowherds and their cows.
In the bottom right, is Radha, Krishna’s consort holding up a lotus blossom.
The lotus is an attribute of both Krishna and Vishnu.
She is with her fellow gopis (milkmaids).
On the left is a village scene, which is dominated by a female figure spinning yarn and facing an elderly woman with a baby.
Pahari Style.
Related Results
Krishna Swims with the Gopis (painting, recto), possibly an illustration from the Bhagavata Purana
Krishna Swims with the Gopis (painting, recto), possibly an illustration from the Bhagavata Purana
In this painting, swirling waters of the Yamuna River serve as a playground for the dark-skinned Hindu god Krishna and a group of gopis (female cowherds). He is shown teasing the g...
Krishna Subdues the Serpent King Kaliya (painting, recto; text, verso), folio from a Bhagavata Purana series
Krishna Subdues the Serpent King Kaliya (painting, recto; text, verso), folio from a Bhagavata Purana series
The folio depicts the blue-skinned Hindu god Krishna’s subjugation of the Serpent King Kaliya in the waters of the river Yamuna. The artist depicts Krishna three times to illustrat...
Krishna Approaches the Cowherds at Their Forest Encampment (painting, recto; text, verso), folio from a Bhagavata Purana series
Krishna Approaches the Cowherds at Their Forest Encampment (painting, recto; text, verso), folio from a Bhagavata Purana series
On the recto side of this folio is a painting that features the blue-skinned Hindu god Krishna approaching a group of cowherds at their encampment. On the verso side of this folio ...
Krishna Watches Radha Twine Flower Garlands (painting, recto; text, verso)
Krishna Watches Radha Twine Flower Garlands (painting, recto; text, verso)
On the recto side of this folio is a painting featuring Hindu god Krishna and his consort Radha on a palatial terrace. On the verso side of this folio are four lines of Hindi writt...
The Cowgirls Attend Krishna (painting, recto; text, verso), folio from a Bhagavata Purana series
The Cowgirls Attend Krishna (painting, recto; text, verso), folio from a Bhagavata Purana series
In this folio, the blue-skinned Krishna sits below a tree, surrounded by his female admirers, the Gopis. The gopis look at Krishna adoringly; in the adoration of Krishna lies the a...
Krishna and Balarama play with the Cowherds (painting, recto; text, verso), folio from a Bhagavata Purana series
Krishna and Balarama play with the Cowherds (painting, recto; text, verso), folio from a Bhagavata Purana series
In this painting, the blue-skinned Hindu god Krishna and his elder half-brother Balarama, along with the cowherds of Vrindavan, play various games, including tag and blind man's bl...
Krishna and Radha Embrace during a Storm (recto); Priests Worship Shrinathji (verso); folio from a royal Kota-Jaipur album
Krishna and Radha Embrace during a Storm (recto); Priests Worship Shrinathji (verso); folio from a royal Kota-Jaipur album
Seated under an awning outside of a sumptuous bedchamber, the blue-skinned Krishna and his consort, Radha, hold one another close. The lightning that snakes across the dark sky abo...
Krishna and the Cowherds Return at Cowdust, possibly an illustration from the Bhagavata Purana
Krishna and the Cowherds Return at Cowdust, possibly an illustration from the Bhagavata Purana
The painting, most likely from a Bhagavata Purana series, depicts the blue-skinned Hindu god Krishna and his fellow cowherds returning home after a day of herding cows in the pastu...

