Artwork
Krishna and Kaliya
Krishna and Kaliya is a paint painting by the Mughal Painting artist Unknown. It dates from 1850 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
This 19th-century Indian painting, created circa 1850, captures a dramatic scene from Hindu mythology in opaque watercolour and gold on paper.
Subject & Meaning
The artwork depicts the mythological confrontation between Krishna and the serpent Kaliya. Krishna, accompanied by various figures, including a woman on a lotus and a drummer, engages with the spotted snake, which rises out of the water.
Technique & Style
Executed in opaque watercolour and gold on paper, the painting features dynamic compositions and expressive brushwork, conveying a sense of movement and energy among the interacting figures and the serpent.
History & Provenance
The painting is part of a collection transferred from the Department of Engraving, Illustration & Design, catalogued as RP 51/2237.
Artist & collection
Domestic Scene
Giacomo and Cardinal Marco, investing Andrea, Abbot of San Zeno, with his Benefice
The Nymph of Fontainebleau
Portrait of a Woman
Madonna and Child with Saints in the Enclosed Garden
Venus and Minerva
Family Group of Four on Sofa
Wall painting from Room H of the Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale
Vishnu and Lakshmi
Krishna Quells the Serpent Kaliya, from a Bhagavata Purana
Vishnu as Matsya
Vishnu on Serpent Shesha and Vishnu Battling Demons Madhu and Kaitabha
Untitled
Gajendra Moksha: The Salvation of the King of the Elephants
Gajendramoksha
Rama and Ravana
Krishna Playing with the Gopis in the Yamuna
Shiva enraged by Parvati's interruption of his meditation
Krishna Watches A Juggler, from a copy of Bihari's Sat Sai
Vishnu on Ananta, the Endless Serpent