Janmastami celebrating the birth of Krishna

Calcutta Art Studio

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Janmastami marks the annual festival celebrating the birth of Krishna, most widely observed across northern India, from Rajasthan to Bengal. The night of his birth is marked by the recitation of the Bhagavata Purana, especially those passages of Book 10 devoted to his childhood. The scene depicted tells of the demonic ruler of Mathura, Kamsa, who received a prophecy that he would be usurped by a child born of his sister Devaki. When Devaki delivered Krishna, her husband Vasudeva spirited the newborn out of the palace and hastily crossed the Yamuna River. In this dramatic depiction, we see Vasudeva carrying the newborn infant across the Yamuna River to safety in the village where he was entrusted to foster parents. Rainstorms and lightning fill the night sky, and a wild dog lurks in the shadows. A shaft of light illuminates the riverbank for the heroic figures, as if a divinely lit pathway. Vasudeva cradles the newborn in his shawl as he hastens to safety. The dramatic characterization of his figure, and the storm ridden night sky, take their inspiration from European book steel engravings of biblical subjects.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.

Metropolitan Museum of Art