For the Love of God. And Not Just Any God
October 3, 2004
 By J. D. BIERSDORFER  

WHEN it comes to love, the Hindu deity Krishna is one of
the all-time stars. Indian art and literature are filled
with tales of his amorous adventures. Although his main
purpose on earth was to fight evil, Krishna - like any
enduring hero from Zeus to James Bond - made time for the
ladies, and plenty of them. 

The epic poem "Gita Govinda," originally written in
Sanskrit during the 12th century, tells of the enduring
romance between Krishna and his human lover Radha. In the
poem's final section, the two meet in a grove with a very
specific agenda, as depicted here in the painting "Krishna
Invites Radha to Make Love." 

The work, on view in the exhibition "In the Realm of Gods
and Kings" at the Asia Society, is an opaque watercolor on
paper that was part of a courtly manuscript from Udaipur,
Rajasthan. It dates from around 1655 to 1660. No particular
artist has been credited, but the work was done in the
style of Manohar, a painter who was working in the area at
the time. 

The illustrated manuscripts of the era, usually kept in
royal libraries, could be up to 200 pages long and were
often read aloud, according to Vishakha N. Desai, president
of the Asia Society, who organized the show. Through art
and poetry, Krishna followers could keep up with his career
highlights, and while he eventually married 16,108 wives,
Radha is considered his One True Love. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/03/arts/design/03bier.html?ex=1097856944&ei=1&en=c5e2e0b61750b75c