Object number1976.68.4

[Krishna Riding a Composite Elephant]

Datec. 1790-1800

CultureIndian [possibly Punjab Hills]

MediumOpaque watercolor on paper

DimensionsImage: 9 7/16 x 7 15/16 in. (24 x 20.1 cm)
Sheet: 11 5/8 x 10 1/16 in. (29.5 x 25.6 cm)
Matted: 22 1/16 x 16 1/8 in. (56 x 41 cm)

Credit LineGift of Ruth Lamb Atkinson, class of 1918

On View

Not on view

PeriodLate 18th c / 19th c

Classification(s)

Drawings and Watercolors

Vassar Exhibitions

A Museum Menagerie: Highlights from the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center

India in Miniature: Works from the Permanent Collection

Exhibition HistoryArt of India: Convergence of Cultures from the Romans to the Raj, Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY, January 2 - March 18, 1997;

India in Miniature: Works from the Permanent Collection, Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY, January 24 - April 23, 2017;

A Museum Menagerie: Highlights from the Permanent Collection, Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY, April 25 - August 13, 2017

Label TextThe blue-skinned deity Krishna, considered an emanation of the Hindu god Vishnu, holds an animal prod as he sits atop a composite animal in the form of an elephant. Lions, tigers, oxen, and rabbits are intertwined with fantastical blue and green creatures not found in this world. Composite animals have a long history in central and south Asia, appearing in early Buddhist works as well as Persian antecedents before becoming popular amongst artists in north India during the Mughal Empire (16th–19th centuries).

DescriptionDepiction of the Hindu god Krishna seated atop a elephant composed of a male figure as well as real and mythical beasts. He is riding the composite elephant against a background lush with vegetation. Beyond the cliff are buildings.

Terms

Hinduism

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email loebcollections@vassar.edu