Kaliya
1760
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1760
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Kaliya is a 1760 paint by Unknown, a Rococo painting work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This painting shows Krishna dancing on the heads of Kaliya, a giant serpent. Kaliya had poisoned a river, killing anyone who breathed the air. Krishna’s victory tames the serpent without harming it. Five serpent heads coil beneath him, their tongues flicking out. The artist used bright colors and sharp lines to show movement. See how the red cloth flutters behind Krishna’s legs? It makes the scene feel alive. Look next at the Victoria and Albert Museum for more Krishna stories.
The painting, created in opaque watercolour on paper around 1760, depicts Krishna in a dark yellow dhoti standing on the river Jamuna’s bank after subduing the many-headed serpent Kaliya. Kaliya’s two wives appear on the riverbank, one bowing in submission and offering a lotus flower to Krishna. The scene is part of a series illustrating the tenth book of the Bhagavata Purana, which recounts Krishna’s life.
Read the full account in the museum source.
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