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Cremation of the Demoness Putana, from a Krishna-Lila, c. 1790. Creator: Unknown
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Cremation of the Demoness Putana, from a Krishna-Lila, c. 1790. Creator: Unknown
Cremation of the Demoness Putana, from a Krishna-Lila, c. 1790. In the foreground the grotesque oversized corpse of Putana is being cut up with much difficulty by the men of Vraj, the cowherd village where the Hindu god Krishna lived in his infancy and youth. Her forearms and hands are already being conveyed to the massive pyre at the upper left. Krishnas foster father Nanda, the elder of the village, has come in a bullock cart to survey the situation, putting his finger to his mouth in the gesture of astonishment. At the right, baby Krishna is being bathed as cowherd women look on in shock. Krishna, who was incarnated in order to rid India of a tyrannical king, vanquished a series of his assassins-including Putana. Putana had come to the cowherd village in the form of a beautiful nursemaid with secretly poisoned breasts. When she began to nurse Krishna, instead of being poisoned by her, Krishna sucked the very life out of her, at which point she resumed her true form. Although unfinished, this painting reveals the care the artist took with the drawing and shading of the figures
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Media ID 19619323
© Heritage Art/Heritage Images
Himachal Pradesh Kangra Northern India Opaque Watercolour On Paper
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EDITORS COMMENTS
The print captures a dramatic scene from the Krishna-Lila, dating back to 1790. In the foreground, we witness the intense moment of the cremation of Putana, a demoness who met her demise at the hands of Krishna and his cowherd companions in Vraj village. The grotesque oversized corpse of Putana is being cut up with great difficulty by the men of Vraj, while her forearms and hands are already being conveyed towards a massive pyre in the upper left corner. Amidst this macabre spectacle, Nanda, Krishna's foster father, arrives in a bullock cart to survey the situation. Astonished by what he sees before him, Nanda puts his finger to his mouth in disbelief. On the right side of the image, baby Krishna is being bathed as cowherd women look on in shock. Krishna's incarnation was meant to rid India of a tyrannical king and along this journey he vanquished numerous assassins - including Putana. Disguised as a beautiful nursemaid with secretly poisoned breasts, she attempted to harm Krishna but instead fell victim to his divine power. As he nursed from her breast, rather than being poisoned himself, Krishna sucked out her life force until she revealed her true form. Although unfinished, this painting showcases meticulous attention given by an unknown artist towards drawing and shading each figure depicted within it. It serves as both an artistic masterpiece and an important visual representation of Hindu mythology.
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