Arjuna and His Charioteer Krishna Confront Karna

Currently not on view

Arjuna and His Charioteer Krishna Confront Karna

c. 1820

Artist/maker unknown, Indian

The final battle of the Mahabharata epic emerges in this large painting. The protagonists, painted in huge scale, confront one another across a gory battlefield. On the left the Pandava hero Arjuna sits behind Krishna, his charioteer. On the right is Karna, commander of the Kaurava army. The actual function of this oversized painting is not known, but it might have been a backdrop for a bard's sung rendition of the battle, perhaps acted out by a dancer who would use the painting to help tell the story.

Currently not on view

Object Details

Title:

Arjuna and His Charioteer Krishna Confront Karna
Final Battle of the Mahabharata

Date:

c. 1820

Artist:

Artist/maker unknown, Indian

Medium:

Opaque watercolor on cloth

Dimensions:

60 inches × 10 feet (152.4 × 304.8 cm) Framed: 67 1/4 inches × 10 feet 6 inches × 3/4 inches (170.8 × 320 × 1.9 cm)

Classification:

Paintings

Credit Line:

Purchased with the Edith H. Bell Fund, 1975

Accession Number:

1975-23-1

Geography:

Made in Himachal Pradesh, India, Asia or made in Jammu and Kashmir, India, Asia

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Currently not on view