Description
In the image on the recto taken from both popular accounts and the Bhagavata Purana, Krishna has stolen the clothes of cowgirls (gopis) who are bathing in the Yamuna River, a tributary of the Ganges River. He refuses to return their clothes, the purple saris seen hanging high in the tree, until they come out and bow to him with folded palms. Krishna, a cowherder, is holding a flute, which he uses to lure them away.
Provenance
William E. Ward [1922–2004], Solon, OH, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art (?–2003); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (2003–)
Leaf from a Kalighat album: Krishna Steals the Clothes of the Cowgirls (Gopis) (recto); Das Avataras, Ten Incarnations of Vishnu (verso)
c. 1890
Accession Number
2003.114
Medium
Gum tempera, graphite, ink, and tin on paper; Woodcut, hand colored with gum tempera
Dimensions
Secondary Support: 48.5 x 29.9 cm (19 1/8 x 11 3/4 in.)
Classification
Painting
Credit Line
Gift of William E. Ward in memory of his wife, Evelyn Svec Ward
