Handpainted – Pichwai – Krishna with the Flute on the Lotus

Provenance

'Krishna with the Flute on the Lotus' is a Pichwai painting in which a blue-skinned Krishna plays the flute while standing on a pink lotus, surrounded by four women in a moonlit grove. The flute player is one of the best-loved images of Krishna, and here it is set within the bright, symmetrical garden that is so characteristic of Pichwai.

Krishna stands at the centre before a round, dark tree, with a halo, a peacock-feather crown and a flute raised to his lips. He wears a saffron skirt, a long garland of pink and white petals and strands of pearls, and his feet rest on a pink and yellow lotus. Two women on the left carry a whisk and a tray of offerings; two on the right carry a whisk and a peacock-feather fan. Banana leaves rise behind them beneath a starry sky, and two peacocks stand above a stream of pink lotuses.

Green, blue, saffron and coral form a fresh, lively palette, with the pink lotus at the centre drawing the eye to Krishna's feet. The sheer, dotted skirts of the women and the dense foliage give the surface a rich texture. A yellow border of pink and blue flowers frames the scene. It is a joyful painting for a music room, a living room or a child's room.