Terms and Conditions
The artist, title and date of the work must be listed anywhere the image is reproduced:
Indian
Radha serving Krishna (late 19th century)
watercolour, ink and silver paint over charcoal on paper (Kalighat school)
44.8 × 27.0 cm (image and sheet)
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased, 1962
Photo: National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
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About this work
Krishna is an avatar, or incarnation, of the principal deity Vishnu – a popular subject in Hindu mythology. Krishna appears in many different forms, with the various stages of his life represented in legends called charitas. Radha and Krishna’s divine union became idealised in Hindu folklore, inspiring many songs and paintings representing their mutual love and devotion. Kalighat paintings were produced as inexpensive pilgrimage souvenirs by artists working around the Kalighat temple in Calcutta (Kolkata) until the late nineteenth century. Quickly painted in an expressive, colourful manner using watercolour on readily available paper, their subjects include Hindu stories such as that of Radha and Krishna.
Artwork Details
Place/s of Execution
Kalighat, Calcutta, India
Inscription
inscribed in ink (in image) l.l.: Rhadhica serving her / husband Krishna the eighth / incarnation of Veshnu
inscribed in ink (in Devanagari script) (in image) l.r.:
Accession Number
927-5
Department
Asian Art
This digital record has been made available on NGV Collection Online through the generous support of The Gordon Darling Foundation