Untitled

Krishna and gopis is a theme that no artist in this country—whatever the epoch—has been able to escape. National Treasure artist Jamini Roy was no exception, at least to this rule. In his individuated folk idiom, Roy created in this work, a doll-like representation of the ‘dark’ god—represented in blue—along with the gopis or milkmaids of Vrindavan that he often flirted with. The work also stands out for the impressionistic brushstrokes in its background, lending it a sense of texture, of a woven straw mat. It’s the pose of Krishna, in his flute-playing stance, that makes this work truly charming.