Krishna Venugopala and Radha in a wooded glade - Krishnahari Das

A 1880 lithograph by Krishnahari Das depicting the divine figures of Krishna and Radha in a serene, wooded setting.

This lithograph, produced in 1880 by Krishnahari Das in Calcutta, depicts the divine figures of Krishna and Radha. Krishna is shown in his Venugopala form, playing the flute, with his characteristic blue skin and yellow dhoti. Beside him stands Radha, draped in a traditional sari, her posture mirroring his grace. Both figures stand upon lotus pedestals, a common motif in Indian religious art that signifies purity and divinity.

The setting is a dense, shaded grove, rendered with the stylistic conventions of late 19th-century Indian printmaking. The foliage is depicted with a focus on texture and depth, creating a quiet, enclosed space for the figures. The artist employs a balanced colour palette, using the contrast between the cool blue of Krishna and the warm yellow of his garments to draw the eye. The print includes Bengali script at the base, identifying the subjects as Shri Shri Radha Krishna.

Prints of this nature were produced in large numbers in Calcutta during the late 19th century, often by small presses located in areas such as Bowbazar Street. These works were intended for domestic shrines and personal devotion, making religious imagery accessible to a wider public. The lithographic process allowed for the mass reproduction of these icons, which blended traditional Indian aesthetic sensibilities with European printing techniques. The composition is formal and symmetrical, reflecting the devotional purpose of the image. The figures are presented with a gentle, serene expression, typical of the period's approach to representing deities in a humanised, approachable manner. This print remains a clear example of the intersection between traditional iconography and the industrialisation of art production in colonial India.