An Illustration from the Bhagavata Purana: Krishna kills the Elephant Kuvalayapida

The illustration from the tenth chapter of the Bhagavata Purana depicts the fierce tussle between Krishna and the elephant Kuvalayapida.

In good to fair condition with localised areas of loss particularly in the elephant trunk and mouth area and in the architecture and sky above. Stain to the binding of the right rear leg. No restoration. Inscription in Devanagari on verso.
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Krishna's evil uncle Kamsa had planned to have Krishna, Balarama and their companions trampled underfoot his ferocious elephant Kuvalayapida who was set loose upon the group as soon as they arrived at the gates of the wrestling arena where they had been invited. Upon seeing Krishna, the elephant attacked him at once. However, Krishna grabbed the mighty beast by its trunk, forced it to its knees and snapped off one of its tusks.

This struggle is described in detail in the Bhagavata Purana and the artist has faithfully follwed the story in this dynamic rendition of the scene. The separation of the foreground from the background using a straight horizontal line is a convention associated with Nainsukh, while the clear, bold narrative using a few figures juxtaposed against an architectural interior partakes of Manaku's style. The gigantic elephant dominates the picture plane and occupies a volume which is double that of the group of gopis to the right, thereby highlighting the unequal struggle and underscoring Krishna's fantastic feat.