Worship of Lord Jagannatha in His Temple at Puri

early 18th century

Not on view

This painting depicts a major religious festival celebrating Krishna as Lord of the Universe (Jagannatha) at his temple in Puri, in Odisha (Orissa), eastern India. In the central image one of the kings of the Kathmandu Valley worships Krishna, who is accompanied by his sister Sudhadra and half-brother Balabhadra (Balarama). The divine triad are represented in a uniquely Odishan style that signals this imagery’s localized tribal origins. A spectacularly large composition, the painting is a rare pictorial record of Nepalese royal patronage alluding to pilgrimage to the Jagannatha temple in Odisha. Only two Nepalese works depicting this subject are known. The other, dated 1670, incorporates an inscribed portrait of the Bhaktapur king Jagatprakasa-malla (r. 1643–72).

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Title: Worship of Lord Jagannatha in His Temple at Puri
Date: early 18th century
Culture: Nepal
Medium: Opaque pigments on cotton
Dimensions: Image: 72 7/8 × 62 1/2 in. (185.1 × 158.7 cm)
Framed: 78 × 68 × 2 in. (198.1 × 172.7 × 5.1 cm)
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Purchase, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, Gift of Bette-Ann and William Spielman, by exchange, Richard Greenbaum and The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Foundation Funds, and funds from various donors, 2019
Object Number: 2019.185
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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