Krishna and Kaliya
1885
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1885
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Krishna and Kaliya is a 1885 paint by Unknown, a Impressionism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This painting shows a dark-skinned figure standing on a coiled snake, with two women in red and gray dresses on either side. The snake is blue with a red tongue, and the figure has a blue crown and a red cloth draped over one shoulder. The women look up at the figure, who has one hand raised. The title says this is about Krishna, a figure from Hindu stories, standing on the snake Kaliya. The snake is often seen as a villain in these tales. Next, look up the Victoria and Albert Museum to see more paintings like this.
The painting, rendered in opaque watercolour on paper in 1885, depicts Krishna subduing the serpent Kaliya while two of Kaliya's wives plead for clemency. The work is part of a series that entered the museum's collection in 1950, donated by Miss M. Steele, whose family had ties to India and a scholarly background in Sanskrit. The collection was reportedly assembled by Steele's grandmother, who may have acquired the works during her time in India.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Your cart is empty
Explore artworks →
