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The Cosmic Form of Krishna, c. 1750–75

The Cosmic Form of Krishna

c. 1750–75 · Paintings, Works on Paper

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Où est « The Cosmic Form of Krishna » aujourd’hui ? Minneapolis Institute of Art, G211, Minneapolis. Oui, exposée actuellement. Vérifié 29 septembre 2026.

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Minneapolis, États-Unis

SalleG211

Fermé· ouvre demain à 10:00

Présentée au public.

Vérifié
Dans cet état depuis
Source
Le musée
Sur la cartePage du musée

À propos du tableau

The striking imagery of this painting was inspired by the Bhagavata Gita (200 BCE to 300 CE), a foundational text in Hinduism. The artist illustrates a pivotal conversation between the epic hero, Arjuna (identified by inscription in the bottom left), and Krishna, who gives Arjuna special vision in order to reveal the majesty of his cosmic form, Vishvarupa or Vishnu (“having all shapes”).

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Depicted with fifty-six multi-colored heads and fifty-six brandishing arms, the Cosmic Form of Krishna towers upright, his all-encompassing aura swelling to the borders of the page. Brahma, Shiva, the sun, and the moon are among the gods who peek through the long locks of his beard. His dress (dhoti) is imagined as a mountain—representing the earth—and beneath is a radiating splay of assured feet. The image articulates the boundless benevolence of Krishna (or Vishnu), with the cosmic body underscoring notions of yogic insight and transformation—the experiencing of the Self and the Absolute as the same, constituting ultimate reality.

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Notice

Numéro d’inventaire
2020.40.1

Au catalogue

PeinturesGouacheRococoXVIIIe siècleInde

Sources

Dans la même salle · G211, Minneapolis Institute of Art

Page du musée
Processional image of a Large Swan (Velya Annam), 19th century

Processional image of a Large Swan (Velya Annam), 19th century

Brahminy Starling with Two Antheraea Moths, Caterpillar, and Cocoon on Indian Jujube Tree, Sheikh Zain al-Din, 1777

Sheikh Zain al-Din

Brahminy Starling with Two Antheraea Moths, Caterpillar, and Cocoon on Indian Jujube Tree, 1777

Krishna and Radha Sheltering from the Rain, Nurpur workshop, c. 1760

Nurpur workshop

Krishna and Radha Sheltering from the Rain, c. 1760

Folio from the Shangri Ramayana (Style IV): Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana Arriving at the Hermitage of Sage Agastya, Kulu or Mandi workshop, c. 1730

Kulu or Mandi workshop

Folio from the Shangri Ramayana (Style IV): Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana Arriving at the Hermitage of Sage Agastya, c. 1730

Illustration to the Shangri Ramayana (Style III): Rama and Lakshmana Arriving at the Rishyamukha Hill, Kulu or Mandi workshop, c. 1700

Kulu or Mandi workshop

Illustration to the Shangri Ramayana (Style III): Rama and Lakshmana Arriving at the Rishyamukha Hill, c. 1700

Jali (window screen), c. 1600–20

Jali (window screen), c. 1600–20

Child Shaiva Saint Sambandar, 15th century

Child Shaiva Saint Sambandar, 15th century

Devi Uma Parameshvari, Great Goddess Uma, 13th century

Devi Uma Parameshvari, Great Goddess Uma, 13th century