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Identification and Creation

Object Number
1960.53
Title
Krishna Receives Homage from Indra (painting, recto), folio from a Bhagavata Purana series
Other Titles
Series/Book Title: Known as the ‘Tula Ram’ Bhagavata Purana series
Classification
Manuscripts
Work Type
manuscript folio
Date
17th century
Places
Creation Place: South Asia, India, Gujarat
Culture
Indian
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/216673

Physical Descriptions

Medium
Ink, opaque watercolor and gold on paper
Dimensions
26.35 x 22.86 cm (10 3/8 x 9 in.)

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of John Goelet
Accession Year
1960
Object Number
1960.53
Division
Asian and Mediterranean Art
Contact
am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
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Descriptions

Description
Based on the narrative of chapter twenty-seven of the tenth book of the Bhagavata Purana, this folio depicts Indra, the king of the gods, paying homage to Krishna. Indra touches Krishna’s feet as an act of veneration. His divine elephant, Airavata, known for his white-colored skin, stands behind him. Krishna is accompanied by his elder half-brother Balarama, and the cowherds and cows surround them.

The folio belongs to the so-called 'Tula Ram' Bhagavata Purana series, produced during the 17th century in Gujarat, representing events from the tenth book of the Bhagavata Purana. The name is derived from the last known person to have possession of the entire series, Tula Ram, a mid-twentieth-century dealer from Delhi. Originally known to be seventy in number, a key characteristic of the paintings from this series is the freedom of expression evident in the style of rendering the figures and their surroundings, possibly indicating the work of several artists. Other folios from the same Bhagavata Purana series in the Harvard Art Museum’s collection are objects 1974.128, 1974.129, 1995.119. Gujarati Style.

Publication History

  • Stuart Cary Welch and Milo Cleveland Beach, Gods, Thrones, and Peacocks Northern Indian Painting from Two Traditions, exh. cat., Harry N. Abrams, Inc. (New York, NY, 1965), page 65/figure 15

Exhibition History

  • The Arts of Krishna Bhakti, Fogg Art Museum, Cambridge, 03/09/1983 - 05/01/1983
  • Gods, Thrones, and Peacocks - Revisited: Northern Indian Miniatures from two Traditions, Fifteenth to Nineteenth Centuries, Harvard University Art Museums, Cambridge, 03/31/1990 - 06/10/1990
  • Hot as Curry - Subtle as Moonlight: Masterpieces of Rajput Painting, Harvard University Art Museums, Cambridge, 11/02/1991 - 12/20/1991

Verification Level

This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu