Rukmini Seeks Krishna's Permission to Visit her Brother Rukma, page from a Dispersed Bhagavata Purana manuscript
c. 1775
Medium
Opaque watercolor on paper
Dimensions
37.8 × 52.7 cm (14 7/8 × 20 3/4 in.)
Classification
miniature painting
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
46269
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
This painting is set in Dwarka, a kingdom in western India on the Arabian Sea where the god Krishna is believed to have spent the latter part of his life and where it is still located to this day, serving as a pilgrimage site sacred to Hindus. The artist of this set of paintings took a particular interest in depicting architecture from a bird's-eye view; it shows an intricate maze of houses, palace cupolas, and temple spires, enclosed in red brick walls and set along the water's edge. In this t...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...