Battle between Krishna’s Brother Balarama and Jarasandha, from a History of the Lord (Bhagavata Purana) manuscript Artist: Unknown

ca. 1760–65

Asian Art

The Bhagavata Purana, "The Ancient Story of God," a chronicle of Vishnu, was a major subject of Indian miniature painting. Books 10 and 11, which describe the career on earth of Vishnu's eighth incarnation, Krishna, were frequently illustrated. This large illustration comes from such a series created in the Punjab Hills state of Basohli during the third quarter of the eighteenth century. It depicts a battle between Balarama, Krishna's older brother, and Jarasandha that took place after Krishna had abducted his future principal wife, Rukmini, on her wedding day. The opposing sides face each other while arrows fly across the intervening space. In the poses of the figures and in the attention to detail the image shows a close relationship to the Mughal style of painting practiced in Guler, another of the Punjab Hills states. The Mughal style ultimately eclipsed the earlier Basohli style.

Medium

Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper

Dimensions

without mounting: 10 11/16 × 14 13/16 in. (27.2 × 37.6 cm)
sheet: 11 13/16 × 15 15/16 in. (30 × 40.5 cm)
with mounting: 18 3/16 × 21 7/16 in. (46.2 × 54.5 cm)
image: 11 × 15 in. (27.9 × 38.1 cm)
framed: 16 × 22 in. (40.64 × 55.88 cm)

Credit Line

The Vera M. and John D. MacDonald, B.A. 1927, Collection, Gift of Mrs. John D. MacDonald

Accession Number

2001.138.32

Geography
Culture
Period

Mughal dynasty (1526–1857)

Classification
Disclaimer

Note: This electronic record was created from historic documentation that does not necessarily reflect the Yale University Art Gallery’s complete or current knowledge about the object. Review and updating of records is ongoing.

Provenance

Provenance

Vera M. MacDonald and John D. MacDonald, Boston, Mass., by 2001; given to the Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, Conn., 2001
Bibliography

  • Art for Yale: Collecting for a New Century, exh. cat. (New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Art Gallery, 2007), 170, pl. 153.

Object copyright
Additional information

Object/Work type

histories (visual works), human figures (visual works)

Subject

battle

Technical metadata and APIs

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