An Illustration from the Gita Govinda: Krishna and Radha in a Bower

The illustration depicts Krishna and Radha making love in a leafy bower on the banks of the Yamuna with papihas or weaver-birds cooing on the branches of a flowering tree beside them and cranes ambling gracefully on the emerald grass adjoining the silvery water in the distance.



The inscription on the verso, from the twelfth canto of the poem, describes the passionate union between the couple as they lie on a bed of tender leaves, their hips conjoined.  Krishna smothers his beloved Radha's face with his ardent kisses and she in turn returns his kisses with equal passion.

W. G. Archer, Indian Paintings from the Punjab Hills, London & New york, 1973, pl. 33 (v), p. 207

Good overall condition. spots of flaking to foliage across the top of the image, clearly visible in catalogue illustration. Further minor flakes to foliage in the bower surrounding Radha and Krishna to the left and far right, in a spot above Krishna's elbow and in the bed of leaves on which they lie, all clearly visible in catalogue illustration. Inscription in Devanagari on verso. The folio border is deep blue, with a stippled pink surround.
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The Gita Govinda (Song of the Dark Lord) composed by the 12th century poet Jayadeva, is an evocative description of the courtship and love between Krishna and his paramour Radha. Composed as an homage to Krishna, incarnation of Vishnu the Supreme Being, the poem is meant to serve as an allegory for the soul's longing to unite with the Divine, yet the lyrical beauty and tactile eroticism of its verse also stimulates the senses. The poem examines all the nuances of love in great detail; unrestrained longing, awakened hope, disappointment, pride and anger against the unfaithful one and finally reconciliation and climactic passion, taking the reader, "... through the tempestuous process of emotional – and spiritual struggle – for grace." D. Mason, Intimate Worlds, Philadelphia, 2001, p. 192.

The largest group of these paintings was formerly in the collection of Maharaja Manvindra Shah of Tehri-Garhwal. W. G. Archer has suggested that the album, originally comprising over 140 paintings was executed by Kushala, son of Manaku, assisted by his cousin Gaudhu, son of Nainsukh, both descendants of the master artist Pandit Seu, who flourished during the reign of Sansar Chand (r.1785-1823), ruler of Kangra and an devoted Vaishnava.

The Gita Govinda paintings are remarkable for the delicacy and perfection with which they are rendered. Their fluent naturalism and mellow grace create a magical world that is imbued with an inner consciousness of the communion between nature and man at their most beautiful. As Ananda Coomaraswamy remarks, "This magic world is not unreal or fanciful, but a world of imagination and eternity, visible to all who do not refuse to see with the transfiguring eyes of love." B. N. Goswamy and E. Fischer, Pahari Masters, Zurich, 1992, p. 314.  

The loving pictorial rendition of Jayadeva's verse as evidenced in the present illustration certainly bears out the truth of this observation. The arbor created by the verdant trees with creepers entwined around their trunks is a perfect setting for the lovers. They are lost in this private, intimate world as they gaze at each other, their eyes heavy with passion. Their embrace while ardent is also tender and is tastefully depicted by the artist. The careful observation of every element of the landscape; the drooping willows and the plethora of wild flowers, shrubs and trees, as well as the delicate yet confident rendition of the forms of Radha and Krishna certainly hews close to the pen of Nainsukh.

As M. S. Randhawa summarizes, Pahari painters undoubtedly reveled in the creation of these exquisite and perfect landscapes which captured the, "...mystical affinity between the life of nature and the life of man and between the beauty of flowers and the beauty of love.' M. S. Randhawa, Kangra Paintings of the Gita Govinda, New Delhi, 1963, p. 13.

For other paintings from this series see Joseph M. Dye III, The Arts of India, Virginia, 2001, no. 151, p. 350; D. Mason, Intimate Worlds, Philadelphia, 2001, no. 82 & 83, pp. 192-194; W. G. Archer, Indian Paintings from the Punjab Hills, vol. II, 1972, nos. 33(i) – 33(vii); and B. N. Goswamy and E. Fischer, Pahari Masters, Zurich, 1992, nos. 130 – 137, pp. 320 – 331. Also see Important Indian Paintings from the Gloria Katz and Willard Huyck Collection, Sotheby's New York, March 22, 2002, lot 52, for another depiction of the passionate embrace between Krishna and Radha.