c. 1720

Krishna Dances with One Gopi

As told in the Bhagavata Purana and other devotional texts, Krishna, as a divine lover, possesses the ability to love many women simultaneously and each for her individual nature. In other paintings of the rasalila (play of passion), Krishna is depicted with numerous women at the same time. In this painting, however, the artist concentrates on an individual relationship as the god dances with a single partner. The other gopis crowd around, playing a variety of musical instruments-cymbals, drum, tambourine, trumpets-and raising their hands in praise.