Artwork

Krishna's Fifth and Sixth Avatars, page from a copy of the Gitagovinda of Jayaveda

Krishna's Fifth and Sixth Avatars, page from a copy of the Gitagovinda of Jayaveda is a watercolor painting by the Baroque artist Unknown. It dates from 1685 and is held in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. This painting is a page from a manuscript of the Gitagovinda, a 12th-century Hindu love poem.

About this work

The artist used tiny brushes to layer opaque watercolor, letting each color dry before adding the next.

You see two blue-skinned gods floating on a gold-leaf sky. One rides a fish, the other a turtle. Below them, lotus flowers bloom in a dark river.

This is a page from a Hindu love poem written in the 12th century. The blue figures are avatars—earthly forms—of the god Krishna. The artist used tiny brushes to layer opaque watercolor, letting each color dry before adding the next. That layering is called glazing.

To see more pages like this, visit the Art Institute of Chicago.

Overview

This painting is a page from a manuscript of the Gitagovinda, a 12th-century Hindu love poem. It is executed in opaque watercolor and gold on paper.

Subject & Meaning

The artwork depicts two blue-skinned avatars of Krishna, the god's earthly forms, riding a fish and a turtle, set against a gold-leaf sky with lotus flowers blooming in a dark river below.

Technique & Style

The artist employed a glazing technique, using tiny brushes to layer opaque watercolor, allowing each color to dry before adding the next, to achieve the desired visual effect.