The Marriage of Pradyumna and Rukmavati, page from a Bhagavata Purana

Description

Like his father Krishna, Pradyumna appears blue in color. He is shown three times in this painting with his bride. The scene of his marriage is in the upper level where a Brahmin, a Hindu priest, to the right of the pole and wearing a white lower garment and looped topknot of hair, performs the ceremony. Their arrival at the ceremony is pictured below. The flattened spaces and bold variety of background colors are typical of a major strain of Indian paintings made before the time of the Mughal emperor Akbar, who encouraged stylistic changes derived from exposure to Persian and European art forms.

Provenance

Dr. Norman Zaworski [1920–2013], Cleveland, OH, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art (?–1976); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (1976–)

The Marriage of Pradyumna and Rukmavati, page from a Bhagavata Purana

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c. 1525–40

Accession Number

1976.26

Medium

Gum tempera and ink on paper

Dimensions

Overall: 16.3 x 21.5 cm (6 7/16 x 8 7/16 in.)

Classification

Painting

Museum

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Cleveland, United States

Credit Line

Gift of Dr. Norman Zaworski