The Demon Sambar Throws the Infant Pradyumna into the River, page from a Dispersed Bhagavata Purana manuscript
c. 1775
Medium
Opaque watercolor on paper
Dimensions
36.2 × 53 cm (14 1/4 × 20 7/8 in.)
Classification
miniature painting
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
46264
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
In this painting, moving from left to right, we see the demon Sambar throwing the infant Pradyumna (painted in blue) into the river as he knows that the newborn is fated to kill him. A large fish swallows the infant; the fish is then caught in a net by a fisherman and is carried ashore and toward the demon's palace beyond the frame, at right. Unknown to the demon, the infant is discovered when the cook cuts the fish open. A maidservant shelters the baby and raises him secretly.
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...