
Illustrated to the Bhagavata Purana: Krishna destroys the bull demon Aristasura Mewar, early 19th century
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Illustrated to the Bhagavata Purana: Krishna destroys the bull demon Aristasura
Opaque watercolor on paper; within the walled pavilions the citizens of Vrindaban seek the assistance of Krishna to stop the destruction being caused by the demon. Krishna complies and tosses the bull by the horns as villages shower flowers on him from above. Folio: 7 x 13 1/4 in. (17.8 x 33.6 cm.)
Footnotes
This classic format illustration follows the conventions made popular in the 17th century in Malwa. The use of panels of red and other colors to divide scenes is common to all and the preceeding folk traditions. However, the present page is painted by any artist close to the style popular in Mewar and Devgarh in the late 18th and early 19th century. The squat diminutive forms and large distinct eyes compare closely with those in a page Scenes from the Life of Krishna, attributed to Chokha, circa 1820, see Topsfield, Paintings from Rajasthan, 1980, no. 232.
Provenance:
Private Collection, New York