Krishna Revels with the Gopis: Page from a Dispersed Gita Govinda (Song of the Cowherds)

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

A girl with curving hips, bending to whisper in his ear, Cherishes her kiss on her lover’s tingling cheek. Hari revels here as the crowd of charming girls Revels in seducing him to play. —Gita Govinda, canto 1, verse 41 This illustration faithfully adheres to the text, presenting Krishna (Hari) on the bank of a river surrounded by admiring cow maids (gopis). However, it is the color play of the natural elements, populated with birds and monkeys, that animates the scene. With its wavelike cloud pattern and distinct figure type, this work typifies the early Malwa stylistic vocabulary.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

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.

Metropolitan Museum of Art