Cowherd women seek the God Krishna in the forest

This painting comes from the first illustrated series of the Bhagavata Purana (Ancient Story of the Blessed One), a text composed in the 800s–1000s ce that chronicles the life story of Lord Krishna. Here, the artist inventively translates verse to image, with two registers of lovesick gopis (cowherd wives) chasing the call of Krishna’s flute in a fantastical moonlit forest. The bold use of color, exaggerated gestures, and bristling costumes marks the crystallization of a pre-Mughal style. Inherited from earlier traditions, this visual language would influence the Indian court painting to follow. Recent conservation of this painting was made possible by a generous contribution from Al and Dena Naylor through Mia’s Art Champions program.