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 pastures. Krishna, the cowherds, and their cows are depicted twice here, once making their way to the gates of their village and the second time hugging their mothers, who welcome them back. The boys return at twilight or dusk, indicated by the reddish sky in the painting, also known as “the hour of cowdust,” when dust goes up in the air due to the movement of cows. Scholars have attributed this painting to the Pahari painter, Manaku of Guler (c. 1700 - 1760 CE). Rajput, Pahari.