Balarama is the older brother of Krishna. Here on the river bank the brothers clasp hands in greeting. The left of the painting depicts the gopis (milkmaids) of the cowherding village in which the brothers grew up, while the treasured cows leap into the frame on the right. The scene is from the Bhagavata Purana, a Hindu text focussing on devotion to Krishna (an avatar of the god Vishnu). Balarama and Krishna’s mother was Devaki, sister of the evil king Kamsa. When a prophecy predicted he would be killed by Devaki’s eighth child, Kamsa committed to killing any children she bore. After Balarama was conceived, Vishnu had the baby transferred from Devaki’s womb to that of Rohini. He was brought up by cow-herding foster parents in Vrindavan. Later, when Krishna was born, he too was spirited away to live in Vrindavan. Krishna can be recognised by his blue skin while Balarama is dressed in red.