Krishna's Parents Search for Him

Unknown Artist

Opaque watercolor and gold on paper

Metropolitan Museum of Art

This vivid Indian miniature depicts a royal couple, likely Nanda and Yashoda, striding across a golden landscape beneath a dramatic indigo-clouded sky, flanked by attendants carrying staffs and offerings. Rendered in the bold, flat color palette and stylized figuration typical of Pahari or Rajasthani court painting, the work uses rich orange borders and inscriptions in Devanagari script to frame the narrative scene. Likely once part of an illustrated manuscript recounting episodes from Krishna's childhood, this piece carries the warmth and devotional storytelling tradition central to Hindu religious art. Its intimate scale and jewel-toned palette make it a striking, story-rich addition to any wall, evoking centuries of devotional narrative painting from the Indian subcontinent.