Krishna Ferrying Radha Across the Yamuna Riverc. 1890 · Study 2003.130

Context from the museum

This image is taken from popular dramas where Krishna, lover of the cowgirls ( gopis ), disguises himself as a boatman to ferry a demure Radha, his favorite gopi. It depicts devotion and the intensity of separated lovers. The painting includes an image of another woman, dressed in white with shorn hair, possibly a widow. Krishna is portrayed as sporting a mustache and has a Prince Albert hairstyle.

Museum description reproduced from its CC0 open-access record. Read the original catalog entry.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected painting only measurement for Krishna Ferrying Radha Across the Yamuna River is 28.3 cm wide and 44.5 cm high, equivalent to approximately 11.1 × 17.5 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 0.64:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.13 square meters; it describes the measured footprint, not the amount of paint or the monetary value.

On an illustrative 300 cm wall, the recorded width occupies 9.4% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 135.8 cm on each side before adding a frame. These are calculations by Physical Art For Crypto using museum measurements. They are not the museum’s display recommendations.

Questions to bring to your own collection

With Krishna Ferrying Radha Across the Yamuna River in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, Gum tempera, graphite, ink, and tin on paper, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this vertical composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 28.3 cm width still suit the space after allowing for furniture and a frame?
• What surface detail would you need to see in person or in a close photograph?