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Loving Devotion: Visions of Vishnu

Krishna as Venugopala with Flute

MainPainting__fluting_krishna1-258x300.jpeg
MainPainting__fluting_krishna1-258x300.jpeg

Krishna as Venugopala with Flute
Bengal, India, 17th – 19th century
Bronze, silver
Collection of the Newark Museum. Gift of Richard J. Nalin, 1988 88.500

This lively bronze shows Krishna as Venugopala, the flute-playing cowherd—the divine musician whose music enthralls all who hear it. As a young man in his native Vrindavan, Krishna tended to the cows along with others of his village and caste. As Krishna played the flute, his music dazzled both man and beast. This sublime music parallels Krishna’s incomparable beauty and attraction, drawing all to him. Krishna’s music symbolizes the call of the divine – causing men and women to abandon the attachments of the world and devote themselves wholly to God.

The Venugopala theme, emphasizing the relationship of enthralled lover to the divine, is very popular in India. Delicate figurines such as this were common in devotional home shrines, where the figure would be dressed, bathed and cared for by worshippers. Because the silver flute is removable to make ritual caretaking easier, the flutes of such sculptures are easily lost.

Krishna, Beloved Incarnation—BYU Museum of Art "Loving Devotion"

All photographs and videos have been provided by Entrepid Productions with support from Andrew Hair, Daniel King, and Garth Pratt.