1974.109: Krishna and Balarama at a Wrestling Match (painting, recto), folio from a Bhagavata Purana series

Identification and Creation

Object Number

1974.109

Title

Krishna and Balarama at a Wrestling Match (painting, recto), folio from a Bhagavata Purana series

Classification

Manuscripts

Work Type

manuscript folio

Date

c. 1760

Places

Creation Place: South Asia, India, Himachal Pradesh, Guler

Culture

Indian

Persistent Link

https://hvrd.art/o/216425

Physical Descriptions

Medium

Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper; Pahari Style, Guler School

Dimensions

22.8 x 28.6 cm (9 x 11 1/4 in.)

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line

Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Peter Bienstock

Accession Year

1974

Object Number

1974.109

Division

Asian and Mediterranean Art

Contact

am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu

Permissions

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Descriptions

Description

This painting features an outdoor wrestling ring. On the right is the blue-skinned Hindu god Krishna; on the left is his elder half-brother Balarama. The tenth book of the Bhagavata Purana includes episodes from Krishna's early life when the divine prophesied that he would kill his evil uncle Kamsa. Fearing for his life, Kamsa asked his wrestlers, Chanura, Musthika, Shala, and Toshala, to defeat the two boys in a duel. In the painting, we see the four mighty wrestlers slain on the ground while the cowherds celebrate the victory of Krishna and Balarama. On the extreme right, we see Kamsa seated alongside his ministers in a pavilion overlooking the wrestling ground. This folio most likely belonged to a Bhagavata Purana series produced in Guler. There is no text on the verso of this folio. Another folio from the same series is 1974.108. Rajput, Pahari, Guler School.

Verification Level