c. 1590-1600

The Wedding of Satyabhama and Krishna

Satyabhama was so esteemed for her beauty and virtuous demeanor that she was regarded as a jewel among women. Due to a nasty struggle over a particularly bedazzling gem, she was given in marriage to Krishna by her father. In this scene, a Brahmin priest performs the simple ceremony under a red canopy. This painting demonstrates some of the ways in which artists at a regional court in Rajasthan first introduced features of Mughal painting into the indigenous local tradition. For example, the contours of the figures have been softened and Krishna wears a Mughal-style garment. Further, the conventional red square that indicates the focus of the scene is replaced by a Mughal-like three-dimensional red canopy. The poles are cleverly used to frame the main figures.