Pavilion with Krishna Paintings
On loan to The Met
This work of art is currently on loan to the museum.This enigmatic painting is probably a faithful rendering of a puja room (a space used for prayer and meditation) belonging to a Kangra ruler. On the exterior of the small marble pavilion are nine painted vignettes from the life of Vishnu and his avatar Krishna, each illustrating heroic and mischievous exploits. The pavilion is set against a monochromatic blue ground representing sky, suggesting that it was located outdoors, presumably in a courtyard or garden within a palace complex. The ruling household of Kangra were devotees of Vishnu, and Maharaja Sansar Chand (r. 1775–1823) was particularly renowned for his devotion to Krishna.
Artwork Details
- Title: Pavilion with Krishna Paintings
- Date: ca. 1800
- Culture: India, Himachal Pradesh, Kangra
- Medium: Opaque watercolor on paper
- Dimensions: Image: 7 1/16 × 9 1/16 in. (18 × 23 cm)
Framed: 14 × 16 1/8 × 3/4 in. (35.6 × 41 × 1.9 cm) - Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: The Howard Hodgkin Collection, on loan from the Howard Hodgkin Indian Collection Trust
- Object Number: L.2022.30.15
- Rights and Reproduction: Photo © Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art