Yasoda with Krishna Churning Butter

Description

Yashoda, wife of the head of the cowherd village, raised Krishna from infancy. She is shown here churning milk into butter, while the mischievous toddler Krishna tips his hand in the pot to steal the rich cream. Kalighat paintings were made for pilgrims to take home and keep on domestic shrines. Made swiftly on inexpensive paper, they are a genre of art available to a wide swath of people.

Provenance

William E. Ward [1922–2004], Solon, OH, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art (?–2003); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (2003–)

Yasoda with Krishna Churning Butter

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c. 1890

Accession Number

2003.160

Medium

Gum tempera, ink, graphite, and tin on paper

Dimensions

Secondary Support: 51.3 x 35.6 cm (20 3/16 x 14 in.); Painting only: 45 x 27.8 cm (17 11/16 x 10 15/16 in.)

Classification

Painting

Museum

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Cleveland, United States

Credit Line

Gift of William E. Ward in memory of his wife, Evelyn Svec Ward