The featured Indian folk art painting depicts a common scene from the life of Lord Krishna. As the story goes, little Krishna watches the Gopis (shepherd women folk) go for a bath in the river. He follows them, manages to steal their clothes and places both himself and the clothes on a treetop.

The Gopis are shocked when they realize their clothes are gone. When they look up, they find a smiling Krishna sitting atop a high branch, asking them to come out of the water and get their clothes from him. The Gopis fail to cajole him into giving them their clothes, so they are forced to come out of the water and beg for them.

This wonderful painting from Orissa, referred to as ‘Paatachitra’, is one of the finest kinds of folk painting. This is done on Tassar Silk fabric and the themes for the paintings are taken from Indian mythology, as in this case.