Life and Exploits of Krishna in Indian Paintings

Twenty-one works from the Indian subcontinent, made between the mid-1600s and mid-1900s, place the pivotal moment when Krishna raised Mount Govardhan in the context of the conquests, miracles, and pastimes of his early life story. An incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu, Krishna was born into a royal household under extraordinary circumstances. To hide him from the murderous wrath of his uncle, Krishna’s parents placed him among humble cowherders, where he grew up in the forest, enjoying dairy treats as a baby and frolicking with the cowherd boys and milkmaids in the forest and the river. Intermittently, Krishna slayed demon assassins sent by his uncle and defeated redoubtable enemies, including the king of the gods, Indra, himself. Each episode contains theological underpinnings that artists communicated in a wide range of styles suited to the wishes of their patrons. Visually, this group of paintings from the museum’s collection reflect the dramatic shift in social order and artistic practice that occurred between the 1700s and 1900s with the introduction of British colonial rule and the transition to the modern era.