Krishna and Balarama Fight the Evil King Kamsa’s Wrestlers: Page from a Dispersed Bhagavata Purana

ca. 1650

Not on view

Kamsa sent Canura and Mushthika, two mountainlike wrestlers who had limbs as strong as lightning, to confront the youthful Krishna and Balarama. The climactic moment is statically presented with great formal drama. Such scenes of conflict serve as metaphors for Krishna’s destruction of corruption. The deep brown background and brightly lit action set against a night sky are typical of the fully developed Malwa aesthetic. (This page is from the same manuscript as 1974.116.)

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Exhibition History

Title: Krishna and Balarama Fight the Evil King Kamsa’s Wrestlers: Page from a Dispersed Bhagavata Purana
Date: ca. 1650
Culture: India (Madhya Pradesh, Malwa)
Medium: Ink and opaque watercolor on paper
Dimensions: Image: 6 1/2 × 7 3/4 in. (16.5 × 19.7 cm)
Mat: 6 3/4 × 7 3/4 in. (17.1 × 19.7 cm)
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Alvin N. Haas, 1973
Object Number: 1973.337
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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