Jessica Bentz
Professor Robert Bomboy
Humanities 101
30 September 2015
Non-Western Art Critique: Sri
Krsna with the Flute
The arts allow a
unique perspective into the world’s cultures. Art has been a focus of study
since the first civilizations and acts as a representation of cultural and
societal customs and traditions. Like any other culture, ancient Indians used
the arts to demonstrate aspects of their religion and societal characteristics.
A piece of art from ancient India that demonstrates this manifestation of
cultural perspective is the watercolor and gold painting “Sri Krsna with the Flute.”
This painting was produced in Punjab Hills, India and dates back to
1790-1800. This piece is kept in the
Freer Gallery of Art, a Smithsonian that focuses on Asian artwork. Freer
Gallery of Art curated the piece in 1930 from Ajit Ghose, Calcutta. The gallery
uses scientific research to authenticate artwork. The museum’s website
indicates that the primary areas of research involve “studying a work's
physical nature to determine its provenance and the artist's methods and
materials, and the study of the collections to better understand objects and
their deterioration.” (Freer)
When examining
“Sri Krsna with the Flute” many aspects of traditional Indian and Hindu customs
are evident. Krishna is one of the most widely recognized and celebrated Hindu deities.
Krishna is regarded as the eighth incarnation of the god Vishnu, as well as a
supreme god himself. Because of his popularity in the Hindu Indian culture,
Krishna became a focus of many types of art; this included religious poetry,
music and paintings. (Britannica) When studying “Sri Krsna with the Flute,” the
first aspect that is noticed is the traditional portrayal of Krishna. In this
piece, Krishna is depicted as a blue entity playing a flute. His demeanor is
calm and passive. In Hindu culture, the color blue represents
all-inclusiveness; because of the all-inclusiveness of the Hindu Gods, they are
often depicted as being blue to portray their “blue aura.” (ISHA Foundation)
Within Hindu culture
Krishna is noted as a cosmic musician, who often entices believers through
music. The use of the flute in “Sri Krsna with the Flute” is symbolic of his
power over his devotees. Additionally, Krishna is portrayed surrounded by
milkmaids and white calves. Milkmaids are also present in other works involving
Krishna, including the “Vishnu Purana.” Often, Krishna is known as a cosmic
lover, who “courts his devotees with sensual abandon, seducing them to be one
with the divinity.” (Fiero 327) The white calves also represent how Krishna is
regarded as the divine herdsman in the Bhagavad-Gita. (Varaha) The color white
is often used to represent concepts such as purity, cleanliness, and peace.
Beyond the focus of Krishna, the milkmaids and the calves, the rest of the
piece is primarily painted with dark, rich colors. The background and
foreground of the painting are contrasted to emphasize the subject (Krishna)
and his devotes.
In addition to the
focus of color and contrast, other artistic elements are present in “Sri Krsna
with the Flute.” For example, the piece as a whole has no stark straight lines.
Even the trees have curvature to their trunks. All elements in the piece are
organically shaped. Furthermore, multiple textures are used. Elements of nature
are depicted as having depth using short paint strokes; contrastingly, Krishna,
the milkmaids, and the calves are all portrayed with smooth textures. The
artist also utilizes blank space to emphasis the subjects. The eye is
immediately drawn to the center of the painting because of the negative space
surrounding Krishna and his devotees. Additionally, the painter utilized design
principles such as proportion and repetition to create an even flow throughout
the piece. There are reflecting elements on both sides of Krishna. There are
approximately the same number of milkmaids and calves on both sides of the
painting. This creates a sense of balance throughout the piece. Elements such
as balance and repetition are also depicted through the lotus and cranes, which
span the length of the painting.
This painting is aesthetically
beautiful and the use of the design elements lends itself nicely to conveying a
peaceful and serene depiction of the Hindu god, Krishna. While reviewing many
works of non-western art in order to select a piece for this assignment this
painting stood out because the religious significance is very easily
identified. Additionally, the use of contrasting elements in the foreground and
background made the piece visually appealing. The painting compelled me to
learn about its origins and cultural importance. When I chose this piece, I had
a basic understanding that the painting was a Hindu religious portrayal but I
was able to further my knowledge of the world’s oldest practicing religion.
Works
Cited
Fiero, Gloria K. "The World Beyond the West” The
Humanistic Tradition. 7th ed. Vol. 1. New York: McGraw Hill, 2015. 327. Print.
"Krishna". Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia
Britannica Online.
Encyclopedia Britannica Inc., 2015. Web. 04 Oct. 2015
Encyclopedia Britannica Inc., 2015. Web. 04 Oct. 2015
"Sri Krsna with the Flute." Freer Gallery of Art
and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery.
Smithsonian Institution, n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 2015.
Varaha, Swami Bhakti Vedanta. "The Srimad Bhagavad-Gita and
the Sacredness of All Cows." The Sacredness of the Holy Cow. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 2015.
"Why Is Krishna Blue?" The Isha Blog. Isha Foundation, 01 Apr. 2014. Web. 29 Sept.
2015.
