Krishna with Gopis near the Pond - Jaipur-Lucknow Hybrid School, on Reused Devanagari Account Manuscript, c. 1870-1890 Anonymous

A late-19th-century Jaipur-Lucknow hybrid miniature showing Krishna and the Gopis in a lush riverside setting. Krishna, crowned and haloed, holds a flute and gestures toward the Gopis carrying water pots, accompanied by a male attendant. Painted in opaque watercolor and gold on a reused handmade paper folio containing Devanagari accounting entries. The verso text lists temple donors and amounts, suggesting origin within a Krishna or Shrinathji devotional context. The palette-brilliant yellows, emerald greens, and indigo blues- exemplifies Jaipur pigment techniques of the Mughal-revival period. TRANSLATION / ANALYSIS (REVERSE) The reverse side bears eleven lines of Devanagari script written vertically. Approximate translation and summary: 1. Shri Krishnalalji - temple record. 2. Devotee Gopaldas. 3. Account of Mohanlal Dasji, respected elder. 4. Nandlal Ambaram - 395 (likely rupees). 5. Entry no. 1211: Gopalsinghji Vishnudas. 6. Entry no. 1212: Madhavlal Singhji Bhagwandas. 7. Shri Vasudev Bhaktanand. 8. Rs 52 recorded again. 9. Charan Seth Shridhar Nandji. 10. Total 123 rupees in names of devotees. 11. Grand total 1235 rupees - 'Blessings of Shrinathji.' These records indicate an original use as a temple donation or expenditure ledger reused for miniature production, linking the painting directly to Rajasthan's devotional economy. CONCLUSION A well-preserved Krishna-with-Gopis miniature painted circa 1875 on a reused Devanagari account sheet. The manuscript verso preserves donor records and currency totals related to Krishna worship, enhancing its provenance and cultural value. Its balanced composition, strong pigments, and manuscript backing place it among the most historically informative examples of Jaipur-Lucknow devotional painting.178