KRISHNA AND RADHA CELEBRATING HOLI
Opaque watercolour and gold on paper
Nurpur
c. 1775

Krishna is an incarnation of the god Vishnu. He is shown with Radha, the beloved of his youth, and other gopis or young cowherd women. Four cowherd boys complete the crowd. In celebration of the Holi spring festival, the revellers are throwing red powder from a sack in the foreground and using bamboo syringes to squirt yellow water from a large, grey bowl. Musical instruments add to the festive mood.

Text and image credit:
Copyright: © Victoria and Albert Museum, London