FOLIO FROM A DISPERSED BHAGAVATA PURANA SERIES
The birth of Krishna
Kangra, Pahari Hills, circa 1780
Opaque pigments with gold on paper, black and white rules with blue border
10 1/3 by 7 4/5 in.; 27 by 20 cm. painting
11 2/5 by 8 2/3 in.; 29 by 22 cm. folio
PROVENANCE
Anthony Powell (1935-2021), the Oscar-winning costume designer, London: Rosebery’s, London, 14 June 2022, lot 313
In the darkness, at midnight, luminous Krishna is born inside a prison cell. In the artist’s interpretation this is in fact a white marble pavilion, the upper chamber with a white-ground floral carpet and a rolled brocade blind. Below two sleeping guards flank the doorway, a red sandstone interior within. The figures of Krishna’s parents, Devaki and Vasudeva, are attired in court dress and jewellery.
At the wedding of his parents, a voice foretells that their eighth son, Krishna, will cause the demise of his uncle, Kamsa, the prince of Mathura. Kamsa incarcerates the newlyweds with the intention of killing their children, and makes himself king.
In the painting, Krishna’s parents are awe-struck by his blue-skinned, four-armed form at birth which resembles Vishnu; they stand on either side of him with their hands folded in adoration. Krishna is in fact an incarnation of Vishnu and carries his attributes - conch shell, discus, mace, and lotus - when he is born. With the folded curtain above and devotees on either side, Krishna resembles an icon prepared for darshan. Notice the shackles near the feet of Krishna’s parents that do not restrain them anymore, and the guards on either side of the prison entrance who have fallen asleep; all impediments to Krishna’s escape are removed and his father will whisk him away to safety. Krishna will return to Mathura as a youth vanquish Kamsa.