Page from a Bihari Satasai Series (Primary Title)
Unknown (Artist)
This painting is from a series illustrating the 17th-century poet Bihari’s Satasai (Seven Hundred), a collection of about seven hundred couplets describing heroes and heroines in various amorous situations. The artist has portrayed the lovers, as frequently does the poetry, as Krishna and Radha. Shown are three experiences of a newlywed heroine. In the upper left, she swings playfully with a female companion; in the center, the hero-husband rushes to embrace her ardently; at the lower right, the couple continues their passionate liaison, tucked away in a leafy riverside bower. Supplementary figures populate the painting’s left side: above, a winged angel descends from a turbulent sky with two garlands; in the middle, two women appear to discuss the couple’s union; and below, somewhat awkwardly drawn cattle frolic along the riverbank.
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