Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History

The Metropolitan Museum of Art


    • Harivamsa (The Legend of Hari [Krishna]), Detached folio from an illustrated manuscript, ca. 1590–95; Mughal
    Attributed to India
    Ink and colors on paper

    11 3/8 x 7 7/8 in. (28.9 x 20 cm)
    Purchase, Edward C. Moore Jr. Gift, 1928 (28.63.1)

    As part of his policy of reconciliation between Muslims and Hindus, Emperor Akbar (r. 1556–1605) had the Hindu classics translated into the Persian language of the court and illustrated by his court artists. This painting is one of the finest results of his plans. The god Krishna protects the people of Braj against the destructive rain sent by the god Indra.

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    This work has been published in the Museum's Bulletin or Journal. These articles may or may not represent the most current scholarship.
  • Ettinghausen, Richard, and Marie Lukens Swietochowski. "Islamic Painting." The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, v. 36, no. 2 (Autumn, 1978).
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  • Harivamsa (The Legend of Hari [Krishna]), Detached folio from an illustrated manuscript, ca. 1590–95; Mughal
    Attributed to India
    Ink and colors on paper

    11 3/8 x 7 7/8 in. (28.9 x 20 cm)
    Purchase, Edward C. Moore Jr. Gift, 1928 (28.63.1)