"Krishna and the Gopis on the Bank of the Yamuna River", Folio from the "Second" or "Tehri Garhwal" Gita Govinda (Song of the Cowherd)

"Krishna and the Gopis on the Bank of the Yamuna River", Folio from the "Second" or "Tehri Garhwal" Gita Govinda (Song of the Cowherd)

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This luminous painting illustrates an episode from the literary masterpiece the Gita Govinda composed by the poet Jayadeva in the twelfth century. The text and paintings together celebrate the spiritual and erotic love of Krishna and Radha. Here, the Divine Couple embrace, surrounded by gopis, or milkmaids, who express their longing for the Lord. The idyllic pastoral setting and the sweetness of the figure style are hallmarks of the influential style of the painter Nainsukh and his family. It has been suggested that this series may have been created for Maharaja Sansar Chand of Kangra’s first wedding in 1781, when he would have been sixteen years old.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

"Krishna and the Gopis on the Bank of the Yamuna River", Folio from the "Second" or "Tehri Garhwal" Gita Govinda (Song of the Cowherd)"Krishna and the Gopis on the Bank of the Yamuna River", Folio from the "Second" or "Tehri Garhwal" Gita Govinda (Song of the Cowherd)"Krishna and the Gopis on the Bank of the Yamuna River", Folio from the "Second" or "Tehri Garhwal" Gita Govinda (Song of the Cowherd)"Krishna and the Gopis on the Bank of the Yamuna River", Folio from the "Second" or "Tehri Garhwal" Gita Govinda (Song of the Cowherd)"Krishna and the Gopis on the Bank of the Yamuna River", Folio from the "Second" or "Tehri Garhwal" Gita Govinda (Song of the Cowherd)

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.