2-732-984 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Krishna under a canopy, c. 1680. This tranquil, languid scene on a white marble, carpeted terrace depicts the god Krishna in the place of an earthly prince. A female attendant at the left fans him, while he and another lady each hold a rose. The open doorway in the background with the rolled-up curtain above suggests the intimacy of an imminent encounter inside. Paintings such as this substitute the incarnated divinity for the hero of a romance, who in turn substitutes for the princely patron.