The Infant Krishna Spirited Away by Vasudev, from a copy of the Dispersed Bhagavat Purana

Art Historical Context

In this vibrant painting, a dramatic nighttime scene unfolds across a horizontal composition. On the left, several figures stand in a red landscape beneath a dark, wavy sky where a long, pale serpent coils through the air. To the right, within a domed pavilion draped in red fabric, a woman gestures toward a sleeping figure on a bed while another blue-skinned attendant looks on. The artist employs opaque watercolor with flat areas of intense color—deep reds, blues, and golds—outlined in fine black lines, creating a lively yet stylized narrative on the small sheet of paper. This work belongs to an early sixteenth-century illustrated manuscript of the Bhagavata Purana, a key Hindu text recounting the life of Krishna. Created around 1520–1530 by an unknown artist, the page captures the moment when Vasudeva spirits the infant Krishna away from danger. Such dispersed folios, now in collections like the Art Institute of Chicago, offer a window into the devotional storytelling traditions of northern India, where vivid imagery helped bring sacred stories to life for viewers.

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...