Krishna quells the serpent Kaliya (verso), from a Kalighat album (c. 1890): Art, History and Details

Krishna quells the serpent Kaliya (verso), from a Kalighat album (c. 1890) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

The serpent Kaliya was poisoning the water of the Yamuna River near the residence of the cowherding community, where Krishna spent his youth. The animals were dying of the toxins. Krishna wrestled the mighty serpent then emerged from the water to dance on his head. Pleading with Krishna to set him free, Kaliya’s wives are shown like mermaids.

Object facts

• Title: Krishna quells the serpent Kaliya (verso), from a Kalighat album
• Date: c. 1890
• Culture: Eastern India, Bengal, Kolkata, Kalighat
• Type: Painting
• Technique: Gum tempera, graphite, and ink on paper
• Dimensions: Secondary Support: 48.1 x 29.7 cm (18 15/16 x 11 11/16 in.); Painting only: 25 x 20 cm (9 13/16 x 7 7/8 in.)
• Collection: Indian Art
• Department: Indian and Southeast Asian Art
• Accession number: 2003.113.b

A detail from the museum

Kaliya is one of the few foes whom Krishna did not kill, but permitted him to relocate to an island in the ocean.

Collection credit

Gift of William E. Ward in memory of his wife, Evelyn Svec Ward

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.