Krishna is the Hindu god of devotion and an incarnation of the god Vishnu, the preserver of the universe. Krishna’s life stories and artistic depictions celebrate various aspects of his character: his triumph over demonic forces; his role as an adorable, mischievous child; and his amorous youth sporting in the Vrindavan forest with herdswomen, including Radha, his principal consort. Krishna’s romantic encounters embody the devotional practice of bhakti, a form of worship marked by a loving adoration for the deity. When Krishna plays his flute to call his female devotees to dally with him in spiritual bliss, it is a metaphor for the soul’s attraction for union with the transcendent god. The flute’s enchanting melodies function as a mantra to disrupt social strictures and enable the worshipper to aspire towards enlightenment and religious rapture.
In the painting’s upper register, Krishna is playing his flute while accompanied by cows and a cowherd. In the palace courtyard below, Radha or another paramour (reclining on the bed) and her three maidservants have swooned from the flute’s melodious sounds.
According to a rubber stamp impression on the verso, the painting was formerly in the collection of Dr W.B. Manley (1885-1972), who served in the Indian Police in the Bombay Presidency from 1905-1924 and as an officer in the Bengal Lancers from 1917-1919. Another rendition of this composition attributed to Mandi, c. 1820-30 is in the Victoria & Albert Museum, London (IS.30-1949).
