Krishna Sends a Message to Radha, from a Rasikapriya

Dressed as a prince, blue-skinned Krishna converses with a sakhi, or confidant, dressed in an orange skirt. In the lower right of this continuous narrative, the sahki is shown delivering Krishna’s message to his beloved, seated in the green skirt. This painting comes from a series illustrating Keshavada’s Rasikapriya, a courtly poem that functioned as an aesthetic text, attempting to generate emotional responses through its stories. Rasikapriya contemplated the nature of love and types of lovers, with Krishna serving as the hero and ideal lover. This artist depicts a palatial setting using the building’s structure to divide scenes and create stage-like settings for the unfolding action.