KRISHNA AND THE GOPIS IN THE POND Kangra, Pahari Hills, North India, late 19th century Opaque pigments and gold on paper, the large horizontal composition depicting a moment of great intimacy of Krishna and the Gopis bathing, swimming and frolicking together in the same pond, a lingam-like structure in the middle of the scene, possibly used here as an evocative image suggesting erotic tension, the saris and shawls of the Gopis left on the bank of the pond, the overcrowded scene enhanced with personality and rhythm by using different hues for the skin tones, agglomerating consequential scenes into one, and differentiating each character with a peculiar feature or attribute, within black and red-speckled pink borders, 45cm x 67.5cm. For a comparative example, please see Sotheby's New York, 20 September 2005, lot 110.