Artwork
Krishna
Krishna is a watercolor painting by the Patna School of Painting artist Unknown. It dates from 1885 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
The work is an opaque water‑colour painting on paper that portrays the Hindu deity Krishna engaged in the everyday act of milking a cow. Rendered in a striking deep blue, Krishna is shown with a crown and ornamental jewellery, while the white cow stands serenely, its udder visible.
Subject & Meaning
Krishna’s blue complexion is a conventional iconographic device in Indian visual culture, symbolising his divine nature and association with the infinite. The scene of milking underscores his role as a pastoral caretaker, linking the divine with agrarian life and the nurturing qualities attributed to the deity.
Technique & Style
The artist employed opaque water‑colour pigments, allowing for solid colour fields and a luminous finish on the paper support. The contrast between the saturated blue of the figure and the pale tones of the cow creates a visual balance, while the reflective surfaces of the crown and jewellery are suggested through subtle highlights.
History & Provenance
The use of blue skin and the stylistic conventions point to a production date in the 19th century, a period when such devotional images were widely circulated in India. The painting is part of a collection that includes comparable works, indicating it may have originated from a regional workshop catering to devotional practices.
Artist & collection
Domestic Scene
Giacomo and Cardinal Marco, investing Andrea, Abbot of San Zeno, with his Benefice
The Nymph of Fontainebleau
Portrait of a Woman
Madonna and Child with Saints in the Enclosed Garden
Venus and Minerva
Family Group of Four on Sofa
Wall painting from Room H of the Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale
