Raja Balwant Singh’s Vision of Krishna and Radha

Raja Balwant Singh’s Vision of Krishna and Radha

Nainsukh

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Krishna and Radha appear as the ruler Raja Balwant Singh’s devotional vision. Nainsukh has subtly created two contrasting worlds, one occupied by the deities and the other by their devotee, who stands at the threshold. Balwant Singh looks into Krishna’s eyes and in turn receives his Lord’s grace. The setting is a terrace of the raja’s court framed by a landscape; the orange canopy invites the viewer into the divine space of the gods, who sit on a gilded, cushioned throne. This work is tremendously powerful because Nainsukh omitted embellishment and instead focused on the essential details of the narrative scene.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Raja Balwant Singh’s Vision of Krishna and RadhaRaja Balwant Singh’s Vision of Krishna and RadhaRaja Balwant Singh’s Vision of Krishna and RadhaRaja Balwant Singh’s Vision of Krishna and RadhaRaja Balwant Singh’s Vision of Krishna and Radha

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.