c. 1940
Souvenir Painting of Krishna Playing His Flute
Artist/maker unknownKrishna, the eighth incarnation of the god Vishnu, is a favorite subject of Orissan chitrapatas. Like the hero-god Rama (who is another incarnation of Vishnu), Krishna is identified by his blue skin. Krishna grew up in the rural village of Vrindavan where he herded cows with the other village boys. He was a beautiful youth who was loved by all, especially women. Krishna is typically portrayed playing a flute, one leg crossed in front of the other, and surrounded by adoring gopis (cowherd women).
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