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Title

Folio illustrating Krishna helping Radha into a charriot from a Bhagavata Purana manuscript

Artists

Unknown Artist

  • Details

    Other Title
    Krishna incident
    Place where the work was made
    Madhya Pradesh → India
    Media category
    Painting
    Materials used
    opaque watercolour on paper
    Dimensions
    13.0 x 20.0 cm
    Credit
    Gift of Dr Jim Masselos 2022
    Location
    Not on display
    Accession number
    61.2022
    Copyright

    Reproduction requests

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  • About

    This folio is from a Bhagavata Purana manuscript. A popular text of 18 000 verses composed around the year 900, it describes the Hindu deity Vishnu, in particular, his form as the blue-skinned god Krishna.

    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 all of his sister’s sons, so Krishna was whisked away to grow up incognito in a cow-herding village.

  • Provenance

    Jim Masselos, 1982-2022, Sydney/New South Wales/Australia, donated to the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, April 2022.