Prithvi Singh of Orchha worshipping Krishna Venugopala

This charming painting depicts the ruler of Orchha, Prithvi Singh (r. 1735–52), engaged in pious worship of lord Krishna in his flute-playing guise of Venugopala. Krishna stands alert, his side-flute held to his lips as he engages his devotee in a sideward gaze. The raja, who stands reverently before his private shrine, offering lotus in his pressed hands, appears mesmerized by the sweet sounds of Krishna’s flute. Krishna Venugopala stands in a pavilion with a Mughal-style floral mural dado and a gilded orange blind, here drawn up. The blue god stands on a gilded stool cushioned with a bed of lotus petals, and ritual utensils are arranged around and before him.