KRISHNA DANCES IN THE RASLILA WITH GOPIS ON TEXTILE, INDIAN SCHOOL, 20TH CENTURY

Gouache colours heightened with gold on textile.
Krishna has replicated himself so that he can dance separately with each of the gopis, whose ecstasy speaks to their passionate devotion. These women personify the impermanent feminine energy (prakrti) that brings life to the material world, while existence itself is understood as “Krishna consciousness.” The ambiguous representation of space and the defined fields of color reflect an interest in abstraction present in early North Indian works. This Basohli court style influenced generations of artists who worked in the Pahari valleys. 143 by106 cm.