Krishna lures King Kalayavana to the cave of Muchukunda, illustration from a Bhagavata Purana series, attributable to Purkhu or an associate, Kangra, circa 1810-20

gouache heightened with gold on paper, the principal characters identified in white devanagari script on the surface of the painting, inscribed in devanagari script with a number in the centre of the top border on the recto, and three lines from chapter 51 of the Bhagavata Purana on the verso, narrow blue and red borders, ruled in white

Sotheby Parke Bernet, New York, 15 June 1979, lot 141
Christie’s, South Kensington, 28 November 1983, lot 85

In good overall condition, mild abrasions to leaf edges, colours vivid, as viewed.
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In this scene from the Bhagavata Purana, Krishna lures his enemy, king Kalayavana, to the cave of the giant sage-king Muchukunda, where the sleeping figure of Muchukunda is rudely awakened by the pursuing Kalayavana. According to the power he was granted when he fell asleep, any person who wakens Muchukunda will be burnt to ashes. Now, when Kalayavana wakes him, Muchukunda’s fiery glance ignites the king, who is consumed by fire while the hidden Krishna looks on. Krishna then reveals himself to Muchukunda as Vishnu and blesses him. The Bhagavata Purana, ‘The Ancient Story of God’, is a chronicle of Vishnu, the second member of the Hindu trinity, and of his avatars or incarnations. Books ten and eleven describe the career on earth of Krishna, his eighth incarnation.

As in other miniatures attributed to this artist, the format is large, the style bold and confident, yet retaining a delicacy and refinement that had become the hallmarks of Pahari painting, and carefully written inscriptions in white are to be found on the surface of the painting. Purkhu of Kangra (active circa 1780-c.1820) was the leading artist at the court of Raja Sansar Chand (r.1775-1823). He painted a number of large court scenes of the Kangra rulers and princes as well as several large-scale series illustrating various Hindu texts such as the Shiva Purana, the Rasikapriya, the Gita Govinda and the Harivamsa. Purkhu seems happiest when working in a large format and the series of manuscript illustrations attributed to him are among the largest in scale of the Pahari miniatures. For thorough discussions of his career and illustrations of his works see Goswamy and Fischer 1992, pp.368-387; Goswamy and Fischer in Beach, Fischer and Goswamy 2011, vol.II, pp.719-732.

For a slightly earlier but closely related Pahari version of this subject from the Bhagavata Purana, see Leach 1995, vol.II, pp.1032 & 1053, no.11.53, col.pl.152.