Krishna and Radha Exchange Clothes, page from a Sursagar manuscript

Originally part of a manuscript, this page (like many religious texts and images) is now presented in isolation. Creating an individual object for study and appreciation sparks complex university discussions. The watercolor features the Hindu deity Krishna and his lover. Radha, a gopi or cow herder, became one of his most devoted followers. Blue-skinned Krishna, donning Radha’s sari, sits under a tree and watches Radha approach from the right. She wears Krishna’s accessories, including his peacock crown. Two women point and talk about the scene, and cows and egrets also take notice. In an attempt to see oneself in another, the divine couple exchanged clothes and effectively “walked around in another’s shoes.” (“This is no Less Curious: Journeys through the Collection” cocurated by Sonja Gandert, Alexandra Palmer, and Alana Ryder and presented at the Johnson Museum January 24 – April 12, 2015)