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What is it that drives the entire world? Is it success, fame, money, power, or Influence?

Whatever it is, nothing matches the divinity and piousness of pure love.

This is what several artists have been trying to convey constantly by creating mesmerizing paintings throughout the pages of time.

And this is the reason that some of the love stories are eternal in nature – like the one of Radha and Krishna.

Being born in India, I was always blessed to witness a diversity of mythological tales, battle stories, political narrations, and otherworldly fables.

Mystique is another driving subject line that catches the attention of people.

However, if you want to see the theme that was & still is perpetually latched onto Indian artwork, its love.

Albeit artists have been inclined to display the ugliness and hypocrisy of societal conventions along with the evils and bad practices, representing true love through art is still one of the preferred subject lines for the artists in India.

People who adore art and are looking to purchase paintings that act as an epitome of true love, Radha Krishna paintings are the best fit for your taste.

I mean what could better display true love than the mesmerizing tale of two lovers that despite not being together all their lives, dedicatedly felt the togetherness throughout.

Branches of history – Origin of Radha Krishna Art

Radha and Krishna are the two names that we never take separately. Strangely enough, the couple didn’t get married to each other.

To understand what bonds Radha and Krishna together, you have to dig deep into the Hindu scriptures.

Krishna, who was an incarnation of Lord Vishnu (the supreme one) and Radha, who was an incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi, were two parts of singular divinity.

Their love becomes the inspiration for artists thousands of years ago and is still feeding the imagination of contemporary artisans.

Let’s take a walk through the history of time and see the art forms that have adopted the subject line of Radha and Krishna.

1.     Madhubani Paintings

This simply is one of the oldest Indian art styles that is believed to have its origin in the time of epic Ramayana.

Madhubani paintings, practiced in the Mithila region of Bihar, was the lost jewel of Indian art that was found in the 20th century when a massive Earthquake hit the state.

A British officer noticed the exquisite artwork on the walls of mud houses that were broken.

Women being its major creators, Madhubani paintings majorly revolve around the central theme of Radha Krishna.

The representation of Radha and Krishna together with a backdrop filled with a mix of floral and geometric patterns with a touch of traditional art style is exquisitely appealing to eyes.

Madhubani art also encompasses a wide myriad of exclusive Krishna paintings that reflects a chronicle of Lord Krishna with a particular story behind it.

2.     Phad Paintings

Coming out from the state of Rajasthan around 700 years ago, Phad paintings are known to be a repository of oldest and religious-themed Radha Krishna artworks.

It is believed that the first Radha Krishna painting in Phad art was made somewhere between the 13th and 14th century.

The paintings depict the narration of Radha and Krishna in a condensed fashion and are created on the fabric using colors. Generally, this fabric is a long piece of cloth on which chronicle of religious events is made.

To one’s amazement, when this art form was in its initial days, artists used rice and wheat flour instead of colors.

Depiction of the devout and fervent seeded in the hearts of Radha and Krishna for each other becomes the main theme of Phad paintings.

3.     Tanjore Paintings

The origination of several Indian artworks is directly related to the regimes that thrived in this nation.

One such art form is Tanjore style, which commenced in the Maratha court of Thanjavur, around 1600 AD.

The Tanjore form is known to possess a number of paintings representing the veracious and wholehearted love between Radha and Krishna.

Although the painting seems to have a touch of South Indian art, Tanjore form has a lot of Radha Krishna paintings in its cluster.

Made on a wooden slab known as palagi padam, Tanjore paintings are also used by Tamil Nadu people to adorn the interior of their walls.

Apart from paintings of this auspicious couple, Tanjore style also offers paintings of Krishna goofing around with his pals.

Tanjore paintings are also popularized on the global front because of the representation of Raasleela when little Krishna teases the Gopis of Gokul.

Vivacious and charming color motifs throws light on the divine and pious relationship of Radha and Krishna.

4.     Pichwai Paintings

Lord Krishna paintings and Goddess Radha are still regarded as two of the highest worshipped deities in India.

It is so, because for centuries, people have been narrating and passing down the verbal manifestation of tales of Radha and Krishna.

Take, for instance, the illustrious Pichwai art form, which originated in the state of Rajasthan and is done on fabric and paper.

This ecstatic art form beautifully presents the story of how Radha and Krishna remained devoted to each other’s soul for eternity.

The size of Pichwai paintings is usually quite large and the creation process is typically executed on a large cloth.

Some of the famous representations of Pichwai paintings include Raasleela of Krishna, childhood tales of Krishna, the eternal tale of Radha Krishna, and Krishna fighting off evil beings.

Having such charismatic manifestations made from natural colors would surely elevate the aura of your home.

The Saga continues…

Today, you can see appealing Radha Krishna paintings with a hint of abstraction, impressionism, and contemporary touch in them.

This shows that even though new art forms have come up, the inclination of artists towards the narration of the tale of Radha Krishna is inevitable.

Having this said, the charm and demand of Radha Krishna art will never fade away.

Thanks!