Krishna Playing with the Gopis in the Yamunac. 1770 · Study 2018.118

Context from the museum

After Krishna raised Mount Govardhan, he began to play erotically with the girls of his village. Under a scorching sun, Krishna and three milkmaids enjoy the cooling waters of the Yamuna River. The women neatly stack their clothes on a nearby tree, and Krishna’s crown and scarf rest by the bank. Krishna playfully splashes one of the women, and she turns her face away. This scene evokes the joy of spending life in intimacy with the god Krishna.

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

A detail to notice

Krishna playfully splashes one of the women who turns her face away.

Observation supplied by the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected image measurement for Krishna Playing with the Gopis in the Yamuna is 16.6 cm wide and 23.5 cm high, equivalent to approximately 6.5 × 9.3 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 0.71:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.04 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 5.5% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 141.7 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 Playing with the Gopis in the Yamuna in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, gum tempera and gold on paper, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this vertical composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 16.6 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?