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Details
- Place where the work was made
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Central India
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India
- Media category
- Painting
- Materials used
- opaque watercolour on handmade paper
- Dimensions
- 20.5 x 16.0 cm
- Credit
- Gift of Dr Jim Masselos 2022
- Location
- South Building, lower level 1, Asian Lantern galleries
- Accession number
- 32.2022
- Copyright
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About
The beloved Hindu god Krishna was born a prince, but a prophecy foretold that his uncle Kamsa, the demon king of Mathura, would be challenged by a nephew. Kamsa then ordered the deaths of his sister’s sons, so Krishna was whisked away to grow up incognito in a cow-herding village. From about the 14th century, the cult of Vishnu rose to prominence and with it came changing ideas about his many avatars, including Krishna. Once revered as a warrior chief, as depicted in this painting, Krishna later became a source of inspiration for Bhakti - the cult of devotion and love, symbolising spiritual union with the divine.
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Exhibition history
Shown in 1 exhibition
Elemental, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 30 Jul 2022–2024
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Provenance
Jim Masselos, 1960s-2022, Sydney/New South Wales/Australia, purchased in India. Donated to the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, April 2022.