Non-Western Art Critique: Sri Krsna with the Flute

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

"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.