Radha-Krishna In The Throes Of Togetherness

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A bitone kalamkari number. The Lord Krishna is caught in the throes of love, the beloved Radha in His arms. They are under a kadamba tree, an example of dense evergreen flora to be found in abundance in the North Indian belt, where the ihalokiya (earthly) life of Lord Krishna is said to have played out (leela). In one of His hands is a peacock flute; with the other He has twirled Radha and swept Her off Her feet. While She clasps on to Him by His neck and His torso, He leans towards Her overcome with a divine emotion. A peacock ducks its head in the twin emotions of pleasure and shame at the sight of them.

Note the sheer proportion of detail with which the kadamba tree in the background has been done. The luxuriant canopy occupies almost half the surface area of the fabric-based composition, its slender shoot superimposed by the pulsating bodies of the amorous couple. They are oblivious to the pot of milk that Radha had kept aside, but which has now toppled over from the momentum of one of their entwined feet. The solid crimson backdrop, made up of layered brushstrokes, adds to the passionate mood of the composition.