INDIA, RAJASTHAN, BUNDI, 18TH CENTURY

Radha and Krishna take shelter under a makeshift parasol of leaves and a lotus stalk as a sudden storm befalls upon their saunter. It worries them none, as the lovers gaze deeply into each other’s eyes and continue on their leisurely stroll. The scene alludes to a monumental moment in Krishna mythology when he lifts Mount Govardhan to shelter the village of Braj from Indra’s violent thunderstorm. In the Krishna-Radha narrative, this motif is used to convey the powerful rasa, or emotive essence, of the couple’s love. Their divine embrace breathes life into all that witness it: a family of sacred cattle prance around the thick grassy knoll and the river is alive with blossoming lotus flowers, as the viewer is invited to share in the passionate enamor. A very similar painting, but in the style of the Jaipur school, is at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (acc. no. M.87.278.15)