The Kishangarh school of painting was heavily influenced by the reign of Raja Savant Singh (r.1748-1764), an accomplished poet and dedicated devotee of Krishna who was a great patron of the visual arts . A distinct style came about in the Kishangarh school, inspired by Raja Savant Singh and his consort, the singer Bani Thani, in which the couple’s chief artist, Nihal Chand, would represent the couple as Krishna and Radha. These themes and styles became cemented into the Kishangarh school, evident in paintings well past Raja Savant Singh’s reign. Characteristic features of the Kishangarh school are highlighted in this painting: long, squinting lotus-shaped eyes, arched brows, a pointed chin and nose, and overall elongated figures. It is believed by some scholars that these stylizations were directly inspired by features of the notoriously beautiful Bani Thani.
The present painting depicts Krishna and Radha sharing a tender moment on a royal terrace. Krishna offers a small cup of wine, while Radha gently tugs on his sash. The couple is closely surrounded by richly adorned female attendants and dense foliage. Represented late in the evening, the artist has taken advantage of a deep palette to render the figures and architecture with delicate gold lines. A delightfully busy river scene is painted in the distance, where Krishna and Radha are repeatedly represented meeting on the ghats and seated, locking eyes with one another, both incredibly familiar compositions in Kishangarh painting.