Kamsa deploys Akrura and Keshi to Braj, from a Bhagavata Purana

c. 1830

Northern India, Pahari kingdoms

Medium

Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper

Measurements

Overall: 29.2 x 37.4 cm (11 1/2 x 14 3/4 in.); Painting only: 22.9 x 32.4 cm (9 x 12 3/4 in.)

Credit Line

Bequest of Harley C. Lee and Elizabeth K. Lee 1993.166

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Location

242B Indian Painting

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Description

The king on the low gold throne at center is Kamsa, evil tyrant and uncle of the Hindu god Krishna. He heard that Krishna would one day kill him, so he asked his friend Akrura to bring Krishna to the court for a wrestling match, where he plans to have Krishna murdered. Akrura, in green, stands reverently before him, bowing slightly. Wrestlers sit behind Akrura.

The decorative patterns, crisp lines, pale colors, and interest in conveying spatial depth are stylistic characteristics associated with painting of the mid-1800s. After this time, royal patrons began to prefer photography, printed books, and oil paintings, signaling a new era of visual culture in India.